Currently, in Paris, fashion brands are introducing their collections for Spring/Summer 2023. Here’s what’s new from Stella McCartney, Christian Wijnants, Alexandre Vauthier, Heliot Emil, and Mônot.
Courtesy of Stella McCartney.
Stella McCartney introduced its Spring/Summer 2023 collection at the Centre Pompidou, infusing art both in its colorful presentation space and in a collaboration with the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara. Nara’s catchphrase “CHANGE THE HISTORY” inspired the designs, which continued a quest toward fashion responsibility and sustainability. The collection is the first to mark the house’s switch to cotton sourced from its regenerative farming project with SOKTAS in Turkey—making this collection the most sustainable to date, utilizing 87% conscious materials. The looks focused on reconfigurations of relaxed Savile Row tailoring (like bias cut skirt suits and oversized blazers), metallic chains and silver crystals that adorned t-shirt dresses and composed see-through garments, and playful looks with clinging close-cut sportswear ideals. Nara’s signature wide-eyed characters also appeared throughout the collection on tees and stretchy dresses in crinkled knits.
Courtesy of Christian Wijnants.
The optimism and beauty synonymous with the warmer seasons permeated the runway of Christian Wijnants in the brand’s first Parisian presentation in more than two years. Free-form garments in linen, cotton seersucker, and poplin were the go-to for Spring/Summer 2023, embodying the easygoing whimsy of long summer days. Billowy dresses were designed with knotted details—like a printed style with an opening at the bodice and a cold-shoulder variation in light-washed denim—business wear took on bright hues and effortless styling (like a pair of matching shorts and a duster in purple leather), and textures reminded us of island getaways—like see-through crochets, lightweight knits, and lei-reminiscent flower necklaces. Models were styled with natural makeup, sunglasses, and patches of sand stuck to their faces as though they had just awoken from a nap on the beach.
Courtesy of Alexandre Vauthier.
Alexandre Vauthier’s looks for the glamorous bad girl reminded us of all the things we loved about the 1980s, with the addition of the designer’s own twist. Sequins, shiny lamé, acid wash, statement shoulders juxtaposed with cinched waistlines, blouses with neckties, and statement boots that engulfed the legs like thick legwarmers were just a few of the elements that caught our eyes. Photographed on a platinum blonde Iris Law in scenarios making us think of a party-filled summer vacation, were looks like a white cotton ruffled blouse and pants set with red accessories, a green gathered body-con dress with draped boxy shoulders and matching gloves and leggings, and an all-over sequin look in silver styled with thick hoop earrings, slouchy denim boots, and a clear PVC trench.
Courtesy of Heliot Emil.
Encompassed in a collection titled “Primal Substance,” Heliot Emil’s Spring/Summer 2023 designs were inspired by Bill Viola’s art piece Martyrs Composite—a powerful video work recorded in slow motion to look at the effects of the four elements on the human body. The artwork was taken into consideration in several ways, making the presentation itself a multisensory experience through an AI-generated soundtrack by Francesco D’Abbracio’s project Lorem, a scent collaboration with the fragrance house UNIFROM, who conceived a special perfume to accompany the designs, and in the collection’s fabrications, which kept in mind how they treated the body when met with earth, water, fire, and air. The clothing in question took on a sense of rebellious futurism, playing with a spectrum of concealment and bareness through cropped or miniature shapes with sections revealing skin and high-coverage looks where even the model’s face was hidden. Pieces were accented with metal hardware and padded details, the addition of extra straps and zippers (like a work suit worn around the waist with a cut-out at the hips), armor-like leather sheathing, and thick padded details—seen on garments that were the product of a collaboration with motorsports gear label Alpinestars.
Courtesy of Mônot.
There were 31 daring looks in black and denim that walked the runway of Mônot’s Spring/Summer 2023 presentation. The minimal palette allowed for the sensuous, body-hugging garments to do the talking, reminding us that less is more when the right pair of hands take charge. Denim reached the standards of couture through sleek silhouettes like skirts split up to the hip, tops with asymmetric shoulders, and strapless dresses that fell to the ankle. Black was a timeless choice for barely-there garments, transparent takes on iconic shapes (like a sweetheart tank in mesh), and more experimental silhouettes. The collection also introduced the maison’s first foray into swimwear, which maintained a certain poise that made it difficult to differentiate what was intended for the beach, daytime wear, or evening parties.
