It's that time of year again....Last week our feeds and inboxes were flooded with images from Paris Mens Fashion week. However this week is Couture Week. Spread over the course of 4 days where designers showcase their one of a kind artistic creations. I'll be keeping up with everything thats happening virtually and wanted to share my thoughts with you! I've always loved fashion week. I watch almost all of the shows online and keep up on the vogue runway app when I'm on the go. It's something I don't really share because we are a more vintage focused community. And as much as I complain about modern fashion there are a lot of vintage elements sprinkled in modern runway shows. My opinions don't always mirror those of fashion critics, everyone has different tastes so these are just my thoughts and opinions. So if you are interested in high fashion and everything thats happening on the runway keep on reading !
Schiaparelli Spring 23 Couture
Things kicked off with Schiaparelli. Right off the bat the second look caught my attention. I like the pleated cream mini skirt at the bottom of the look, but the most interesting piece was the corset-top. It has the shape of corsets seen in the 1850s and 1880s with the cinched in waist and a dramatic emphasis on the hips and rounded chest. I love corsets so I always enjoy seeing this silhouette on the runway. This is something we saw throughout the rest of the show in suit sets and a coat.
And I'm sure you have all seen these 3 looks on social media.... along with all of the controversy that came along with it. And I am torn on these looks.... let me explain. On one hand it's couture week and its a chance for a designers to showcase their artistic vision and create walking art. Of course these animal heads are faux, made of resin, foam and covered in wool and silk faux fur. They are not real. From an artistic perspective they are very well done, the craftsmanship is beautiful and it had people questioning if they were real. However, I also see where the the controversy is coming from. People were saying that these looks glorified "trophy" hunting and they were disturbed by the animal faces being used for fashion. I can appreciate the art but can see how it can send the wrong message if seen by the wrong eyes.
However one of my favourite looks from the collection was this black dress with the yellow fringe made out of sequins?? its gorgeous and the model wears it beautifully.
and lastly here are other looks that caught my eye. The cream dress above with all the sequins (they used leather covered tin) didn't catch my attention as much in photos, until I watched the full runway show and wow the material moves beautifully. The second look above ^ was just really interesting to me, I love the use of feathers on the waist.
Overall I thought it was an alright ...collection, there was a nice blend of fantasy with wearable pieces. The colour palette was neutral but it works beautifully for the collection because it drew your eyes to the shapes being made with the fabric (use of dark space and light space). I wasn't blow away and I've seen better collections from Schiaparelli. As for the animal looks... it was camp I'll give it that. Daniel Roseberry (creative director) was inspired by Dante's Inferno. Roseberry finished the show notes with "inferno, purgatorio and paradiso, one cannot exist without the others. It is a reminder that there is no such thing as heaven without hell; there is no joy without sorrow; there is no ecstasy of creation without the torture of doubt". If you want to view the whole collection or read about it in depth click here, and if you want to watch the runway show click here.
Christophe Josse Spring 2023 Couture
Next up was Christophe Josse... and I cannot for the life of me find the entire collection. all I've seen is one look they posted to their instagram feed. It might be up on the vogue runway up tomorrow but for now this will remain blank.
Iris Van Herpen Spring 2023 Couture
Wow this collection is breathtaking ! Truly art. Iris Van Herpen is such a distinguishable designer. You instantly know it's one of her designs. She opted for a filmed presentation (Called: Carte Blanche) instead of a runway show and I watched the whole thing in awe. The designs make the models look like etherial sea creatures. The film itself was very emotive, I felt like these "creatures" are yelling and trying to tell me something. And at the end when they are floating and starting at you its like they are asking " did you hear me?" "did you get my message" it's very haunting. You can watch the whole thing here
I could not tell you which look is my favourite, they are all so.... surreal and out of a fantasy world. I could flood this entire post with screen shots from the film but It won't do it justice. It's better if you watch it. I absolutely loved the collection, the bright colours as they flow through the water with the shapes mimicking scales was breathtaking.
Georges Hobeika Spring 2023 Couture
Above are my favourites from the collection, there was some vintage elements in all of these looks which is probably what drew me to them. The colour palette for the whole collection was metallics with bright pops of colour like: chartreuse, yellow, pink, lavender, and bright blue. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find the full runway show online but you can browse through all of the photos here.
I feel like we have seen a lot of these designs before, it didn't really bring anything new to the table for me. These cape and train silhouettes became popular on the red carpet but it's become a bit overdone and don't turn heads anymore. Of course the designs are pretty but a bit overdone in my opinion.
Again these big tiered tulle dresses...I thought we were done with these designs. The only interesting one for me is the one in the middle because the tulle is at the bottom of the skirt (I don't love the top part of the outfit tho)
Dior Spring 23 Couture
It's a bit hard for me to review Dior. Their designs tend to lean more on the classic side which is what I typically like, it's feminine and structured. However it's often times labeled as boring or safe by critics. I watched the runway show and looked though all of the photos and I actually really enjoyed the collection. There were numerous things I can see myself wearing... but thats also the problem.
The collection seemed more ready to wear than couture. The pieces were very wearable and I expect more from Dior. They are one of the biggest fashion houses and they should be creating art that takes your breath away. Also as a side note, a lot of pieces had a fall feel, not only in material but also in colour palette. However I did appreciate all of the vintage elements that surrounding the entire collection.
Maria Grazia (Creative Director) was inspired after finding photos of Josephine Baker wearing Dior in 1951. Maria Grazia decided to dedicate the haute couture collection to her and surrounded the gallery with photos of her, and similarly ground breaking black and bi-racial Hollywood actresses/models from the 20th century. Instead of focusing on the showgirl looks we've seen from Josephine Baker. The emphasis was more on the casual looks, and the the day suits she wore during the war. You can see a bit of inspiration from the 1920s sprinkled in the collection, which I really love. As well as shoes from the 1940s with platforms, ankle straps, and small peep toe holes.
There was also inspiration pulled from the 1940s bar suit. Dior always nods at the bar suit in their collections and runway show attendees tend to follow that silhouette when going to a show. The jacket isn't as nipped in the waist the skirt isn't as full, but the nod is there. I imagine since they are referencing Josephine Baker during the war years, that is why they designed the suit in that way. A bit more military a little less feminine high fashion.
There were these two dresses near the end that I loved! They are both velvet and they are so glamorous in an old Hollywood way. Both are velvet and one is brown with a bib collar and puffed 3/4 puffed sleeves. The other is chartreuse with a straight across the shoulders neckline (almost like a boat neckline). Both dresses are fabulous and I wish Dior brought more of that glamour to the rest of the collection. Like I said I don't dislike the collection but it is a bit tame for a couture show. If you want to read more about the collection, as well see all the photos click here, and if you want to watch the full runway show click here
Rahul Mishra Spring 2023 Couture
Rahul Mishara debuted a beautiful collection called Cosmos where he not only took inspiration from the stars but also from the deep oceans and the jungles all around us. I think that comes across perfectly in his collection, it almost becomes like the story of a beautiful eco system within another ecosystem how they connect from each other.
Some of the looks take the form of creatures like lady birds or mermaids, there is also a jellyfish at the end of the show. I know the makeup artist said her inspiration was Avatar which I can totally see, I'm sure even Rahul Mishra had avatar on his mood board when creating his collection.
The colour palette is mainly natural beige, gold, teal, bright blue and black. Some of the looks have bright coloured embroidery in pink and green. Overall the colours all work beautifully and they all work cohesively together. As for the designs I love the flowing organic lines that mimic nature, and the embroidery that paints a jungle landscape below the stars. I enjoyed the use of feathers as well. I think this may be my favourite collection of the day! If you want to look at photos of the entire collection click here, if you want to watch the runway show click here
Maison Rabih Kayrouz Spring 2023 Couture
This is the first collection of the day that I didn't like. Rabih Kayrouz said that the collection "is for the sensible woman; it has nothing to do with passing trends, themes or muses" He also stated that he was inspired by "The woman in love" and "...her reminiscing about her lover and dreaming about love and the memories they've shared together". And to me that doesn't come across, if anything.... I would think it's the opposite. It comes off very strong and independent. While the simplicity of the designs do cater to a more "sensible" woman as the show notes stated, I do think that this collection falls in with some current street style trends. I can see all of these looks being worn by people in the city and outside fashion shows.
The three looks above are the only ones I actually liked from the collection, as they are very different from the rest, especially the first two looks. I like the more fitted silhouette without them being body hugging.
The colour palette was also all over the place for me. There is a lot of black and then random pops of colour, The primary colours are fine but then the neon green threw me off. Clearly I am not the target audience for these designs. It's like... they think they are more groundbreaking than they actually are . But we've been seeing these types of looks being worn in street style for a while, so I do think there are people who will enjoy this collection. As a final note: in the runway collection video they posted to their own youtube channel is labeled as a Couture 2023 & F/W23 collection. So I'm not sure if its suppose to be both ? It could explain why there are so many casual and "wearable" looks in the collection. You can watch the runway show here. Vogue has is solely as Couture S2023 so I'm not really sure, there is no mention of the fall collection in the notes. You can look through photos of the collection here.
Giambattista Valli Spring 2023 Couture
Giambattista Valli never disappoints, this entire collection makes me feel like I'm inside a musical jewellery box? I'm not sure if that makes sense. The flowers and metallic tones mixed with the pastels and oversized pearl earrings... its a place I never want to leave.
I am obsessed with the floral print on these two dresses, you all know I love flowers and the colour palette is a dream. Like a modern interpretation of Marie Antoinette (Yes I know... groundbreaking take lol...) Giambattista Valli is associated with tulle, and while we still saw some tulle pieces, it was great to see some dresses in another pattern and fabric while still maintaining the classic silhouette we have come to expect from Giambattista Valli
I would love to see Giambattista Valli's take on a 1950s prom dress. Tulle was very popular well into the early 60s and I would love to see how he would re-imagine those types of designs. Either way these are the types of collection I like to see. It's feminine and over the top, while still being wearable. It's very easy to understand and enjoy. Some of the dresses look straight out of a painting, I loved it! One of my favourite collections of the day. If you want to see photos of the collection click here. And if you want to watch the runway show click here.
The end of Spring 2023 Couture DAY ONE
Stunning designs, innovative craftsmanship—each runway moment was a masterpiece in motion.
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