While the Haute Couture collections presented in Paris were nothing short of impressive, we found that the show setups themselves were equally as captivating. Below, we’ve included some of our favorites.
In a cavernous hall with crown molding details, Alexandre Vauthier debuted its haute couture collection. Bathed in golden light, strutted through a maze of guests, models wore designs that reminded us of a modern twist on early 20th century fashion—like a high neck blouse paired with a cropped tuxedo jacket, neck tie, and floor length skirt. Many of the looks were completed with a black silk take on a men’s boater hat or a pair of knee-high slouchy boots, our favorite of which appeared in tiger print.
Courtesy of Maison Margiela.
Zuhair Murad’s took guests on a journey back to Imperial Russia, where a checkerboard floor in a shadowed great room made us think of a ball held by a tsar in Saint Petersburg. The collection, which could almost be mistaken for the wardrobe Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, gave a nod to the country’s love of uniform by intertwining elements of military wear with more traditionally feminine silhouettes—seen in looks like an A-line beaded gown with military collar and sleeves and a satin dress coat paired with matching khaki shorts.
While Maison Margiela’s “Artisanal” collection was quite a marvel, our favorite part of the presentation was the show space itself. During the presentation, models walked through a construction of dented gypsum walls and columns, illuminated by a flood of natural light—meant to reflect the brand’s ideas of unconscious glamor and dressing in haste. Not only did the interior of the house’s Parisian studio (designed by the Dutch architects of Studio Anne Holtrop in collaboration with creative director, John Galliano) serve as the perfect stage for the debut of the haute couture collection, it also unveiled the first step towards a new identity for the brand’s retail presence.
Courtesy of Maison Margiela.
