The way a new collection is presented sets the stage for a first impression, and it says a lot about the story a brand chooses to tell. Below, we’ve included some exquisite showings from Paris Fashion Week that we appreciated for thoughtful design—in clothing and in presentation.
Meant to echo a frosty snowboarder’s paradise, Balenciaga’s new collection, seen with a decorated mountain backdrop, was seen with as many as nine layers of outerwear. In addition to the cool mood, the pages of a new chapter were turned for the brand this season with the unification of men’s and women’s collections, and their use of 3-D body scanning techniques. The collection features precision-molded outerwear that bonds traditional tweed, velvet, and wool to lightweight foam, as well as a focus on pieces that can be worn either as a set or separately.
Courtesy of Balenciaga
In the midst of an enchanted forest, Chanel revealed its new collection—a whimsical merging of timeless fashion and the idea that the grace of nature is constantly reborn. Transformed into woods filled with moss, blue skies, and autumn leaves, the Grand Palais was the perfect spot for a first peak at the garments. Faux fur and feather embellishments, materials like tweed and velvet, and a color palette fit for a fairytale were meant to mimic the life found within a forest. Staying true to Chanel’s eye for detail, a leaf-inlay motif and tiny, jeweled buttons chiseled with leaves were seen sprinkled throughout the collection. Chanel’s classic little black dress also returned to remind us that time has no influence on the icons of fashion.
Giambattista Valli’s new collection shined down an industrial runway of crumbling concrete pillars. Models with glitter-covered faces accompanied a collection that exuded contemporary innocence and with womanly sensuality. A variety of prints, bold colors, and playful accessories (like furry slipper flats) were seen alongside more serious and alluring pieces (like the sheer, floor-length dresses of ruffled organza).
Courtesy of Saint Laurent
Truly a collection of showstoppers, Saint Laurent presented a line of eveningwear complemented by set made of bright lights. Bold silhouettes reminiscent of the 1980s featured broad, boxy shoulders, plunging necklines, and short, leggy hemlines for as far as the eye could see. Shiny black leather, sheer tops, fur tassels, and metal studs brought a mood of dazzling sensuality to the runway. To finish, a selection of bright, sequined floral mini dresses completed the show.
A courtyard runway of stone railings and gargoyle-like fountains set the stage for Louis Vuitton’s show. In the collection, classic, ultra-feminine features like accentuated waists, knee length skirts, and corset-like tops were seen—all with modern, functional details. The grand European ambience gave just the right weight, leveled out by an updated color palette that included reds, yellows, and blues, and unexpected color blocking, and mixing of textures and materials, in some of the more traditional pieces.
Courtesy of Chanel
