From compelling sexuality to an homage to classic elegance, key designers innovated and celebrated the brands they helm for the best of Paris Fashion Week. Chloé, Rick Owens, Givenchy, Balmain, Off-White, and Schiaparelli gave us a glimpse into what we’ll be wearing this autumn.
Balmain by Way of Bordeaux
Courtesy of Balmain.
The Balmain fall/winter show exuded an aura of modesty and subtlety while reinvigorating that for which the house is famous. Looking to the brand’s archives for inspiration, Creative Director Olivier Rousteing infused the collection with his personal history, celebrating Balmain’s past through the lens of his heritage and hometown. The inclusion of age diversity on the runway lent a lived-in quality to the garments, fostering a sense of effortless elegance. Standout looks included floor-length gowns featuring bold patterns and unconventional silhouettes, modest hoods and headwear, and new takes on the trench coat. The opulent venue, Le Pavillon Cambon, served as a fitting backdrop for the spectacle, amplifying the sense of legacy and history.
Rick Owens Was Otherworldly
Courtesy of Rick Owens.
Rick Owens isn’t pulling punches. In his show notes for the fall/winter 2024 collection, he challenged the “barbaric” times we’re living in. “Banal hostility” is on trial, as his provocative show aimed to reckon with the ills we face in a futuristic way. For the show, named “Porterville” in homage to Owens’s birthplace, the designer opened the door of his unique three-story home on the Place du Palais Bourbon. Set to a piece of music by Maurice Ravel, Owens’s looks expressed an operatic sense of grandeur. Recycled materials were incorporated into the garments, featuring a collaboration with Matisse Di Maggio, a fixture of the Parisian BDSM community. Capes, hoods, and cages outfit models with the potential to remake our world or venture into a new one.
Off-White Breaks Boundaries
Courtesy of OFF-WHITE.
Ib Kamara was inspired to call the Off-White Paris show “Black By Popular Demand” on a trip to Japan. With distance, the Creative Director could see just how much Black culture influences the styles and sensibility that the world has come to associate with America. This ethos of critical questioning extended to gender presentation in the collection, as Kamara aimed to emphasize the women’s ferocity and the men’s softness. The models walked against a backdrop of a large dice sculpture, the set’s striking black-and-white scheme emphasizing the shocking color in the collection.
Schiaparelli’s Take on Everyday Luxury
Courtesy of Schiaparelli.
Daniel Roseberry challenged our expectations at the Schiaparelli fall/winter 2024 presentation in Paris. While the house, with its famed penchant for the surreal, still offered whimsical details– like a denim suit accessorized with a necktie made of braided hair and equestrian headwear– the show emphasized wearability and offered spins on classic pieces. There was an emphasis on texture and livability. Wool, tartan, mohair, and leather pieces offered to restock a luxurious closet from top to bottom. Roseberry displayed a desire to design for every day: “not just the rare, precious moments of life when only couture will do.”
A Symphony of the Sensual at Givenchy
Courtesy of Givenchy.
In the wake of Matthew M. Williams’s departure from Givenchy, the studio team took the reins for this collection, placing materiality at the forefront with a focus on “sensuality and suspense” and the “language of form.” The runway spotlighted luxurious coats, elegant eveningwear, and shimmering cocktail dresses. The collection also unveiled the P’tit Voyou, a new addition to its Voyou bag family, featuring minimal details and an elongated shape. The studio team clearly aimed to honor Givenchy’s identity instead of aiming for reinvention. Their collection exuded intense beauty and wearability.
Chloé Welcomes Chemena Kamali Home
Chloé, photo by Carlo Scarpato / Gorunway.com
Though Chemena Kamali is new to the Creative Director position, she’s not new to Chloé. Her premiere show at the helm is proof positive of her intention “to return to the original roots of the house.” From flowing dresses tucked into knee-high boots to fringed pants paired with oversized sunglasses, the fall/winter 2024 collection breathed new life into the house. The star-studded front row wore matching platform sandals and clogs that evoked the resurrected spirit of the seventies. Kamali balanced a fresh spontaneity with a profound understanding of Chloe’s storied history, paying homage to the ways that the late Karl Lagerfeld defined the brand and to founder Gaby Aghion’s original vision. The overall effect is a bohemian heaven that “radiates with warmth and positivity.”
