January 25, 2023

Paris Couture Week Spring 2023 - Day Two

Day two is in full swing and I am keeping up with the shows as they happen! I had so much fun writing the post for DAY ONE (link here) and now I'm spending the entire day watching the shows and looking through all of the photos!  The perfect activity on a cold January day! So here we are!  DAY TWO 

Chanel Spring 2023 Couture 


Day two kicked off with Chanel.... and it was disappointing. The designs were all things we have seen before, the colours were muted, typical from a Chanel collection. Which I don't mind, I usually like the colour palette, its very distinctive... but its become a bit tired, I was hoping for something new. But overall I don't mind the colours.


One of the main accessories seen throughout the collection were top hats and black bow ties, reminiscent of a ring master perhaps? In the show notes Virginie Viard (Creative director)  said she pulled inspiration from majorettes. Which I suppose I can sort of see once I read that... but I still think the concept gets lost.  There was also a strong animal theme not only in the set design but also within the clothes as you can see in the middle photo above. The clothes seemed a bit ill fitting and the bow ties looked out of place on the necklines, I almost wish they would've been bigger and less structured to soften up the look when paired with the top hat. Giving a balance between feminine and masculine.  Instead it looks more like playing dress up. 


I hate to say this but a lot of the designs look like something from a fast fashion website. They are not very unique and they are also very "wearable" for a couture collection. Chanel being one of the biggest (at least one of the most recognizable) fashion houses you would think they would create beautiful artistic pieces. Even the set designs was lacklustre. And we have seen what Chanel is able to create when it comes to set design for their runway shows. 


Of course there is no Chanel without tweed. I will admit I enjoy the consistency of always having tweed in the show. This was a youthful 1960s take on tweed which we've seen in the past couple of seasons... these designs have extended to stores like Zara and fast fashion online stores. Of course the materials used by Chanel are 10x superior and the quality is much better... but the designs are the same. I was hoping for something more interesting and different from Chanel this season. ESPECIALLY since its couture week.  I actually don't mind the white lace up boots, they are cute! I would love to see one in a cream shade. Not a fan of the gold ones tho. 


To end things on a high note I'll share my two favourite looks from the collection. The black dress above being my favourite!  I love the late 20s/early 30s reference in the designs. Virginie Viard was specifically asked if she was inspired but the 1930s for these dresses and she said no... so there is that lol. I really love them.... however I don't like the styling with the gold boots and bow ties but I'll look past it. If you want to see photos of the entire collection click here. And if you want to watch the runway show click here. 

Alexis Mabille Spring 2023 Couture 


Next up is Alexis Mabille, the collection is alright, they are all pieces we've seen before. I like the two dresses above, they are the strongest in the collection in my opinion. The gold dress sort of makes me think of the The Kiss by Gustav Klimt mixed with Ancient Egyptian art.  The silhouette of the dress almost looks like a vase which further emphasizes the latter. The red dress has a beautiful shape and the cape gives it the perfect amount of drama. I can't find the runway show online (I'm reviewing based on photos) but I can already imagine how beautifully that red fabric flows. 


The colour palette for the collection is really bright!  practically every colour was used; gold, red, blue, green, purple, yellow, pink. You name it, they used it. I really liked the use of bright vibrant colours. But like I said I feel like I've seen all of this before. I can see some celebrities wearing these dresses for a red carpet so they are "Wearable" in that sense. While I liked some of the longer dresses, some of the looks were more juvenile and lacked shape for my taste.   Its a pretty simple collection that isn't memorable in my mind. If you want to see photos of the full collection click here 


 Stéphane Rolland Spring 2023 Couture 


This collection was strong. Not my particular taste but I can recognize the creativity and craftsmanship on display. There were some beautiful pieces, one of them being the bride (middle picture above) and the brown dress with the sheer panel for a skirt (bottom right)  


The inspiration for the designs lays in Brazil. At first there is a focus on Rio in the 1970s. The long lines and more modern structures are indicative of that time period. Also The plunging necklines and long hem lines make me think of the 1970s. There is one particular green dress, that when I saw it on the runway I immediately thought "this looks like what someone would wear pool side in a swanky 1970s movie". So it's great to see that in the show notes. However the most notable influence is the amazon. There are a lot of indigenous elements in the patterns printed on the dresses and or course the jewellery.  


The collection has a lot of flowing lines, and bold structures. The colour palette is filled with earth tones; brown, black, white, green, yellow and of course Gold. Stéphane Rolland mentioned the gold in the later half of the show represents the gold from the "...conquistadors, their gold and treasures."


Overall the collection is beautiful. Very interesting to look at with a strong concept. If you want to look at photos from the entire collection click here. If you want to watch the runway show click here

Julien Fournié Spring 2023 Couture 
The show has not been posted online yet so this well remain blank for now until it has been posted

Alexandre Vauthier Spring 2023 Couture 


The 80s made an appearance on the Alexandre Vauthier runway. From the metallics to the moto jacket to the neon. One hooded looked straight out of Grace Jones' closet.... which I will admit... is fabulous! We all know how I feel about the 80s it's my least favourite decade. I don't like anything about the fashion, or beauty trends, but I'm trying to put my personal feelings aside and look at the collection objectively. 


Of course there was an abundance of shoulder pads.... and I don't like it. I'll accept a bit of a should pad to give some structure but oversized 1980s pointy shoulder pads should stay in the past. Even as a vintage wearer who loves the1940s, I have to admit I don't like shoulder pads in that era either. They always ruin the outfit for me and I find they look unflattering on all body types. I'm sure a lot of people with disagree with me but the looks with the shoulder pads were a miss for me. However, do perfectly reference the 1980s. 


The collection was black and grey (dark green?) with these bright pops of colour. All neon in green, pink and orange. And while I don't like neons I think it woks perfectly for the concept. The 80s were all about bright colours, the black and neon green dress and the orange tulle dress make me think of something madonna would have worn... probably with a denim or leather jacket on top! 


And finally there were these looks that had these silver pieces of - I want to say metal but it's not metal- either way they look like little mirrors, almost like a broken disco ball. It's cool on paper but actually seeing the designs styled on on a person it doesn't really work for me. We've seen concepts like this in the past and it can work!  But it this case it just comes off as random  and out of place. Overall the collection does a great job at emulating the concept of the 1980s, but its not my favourite collection. If you want to see the rest of the collection click here 

RVDK Ronald Van der Kemp Spring 2023 Couture 
This collection hasn't been uploaded yet!  It will remain blank for now until I can view the entire collection

Georgio Armani Privé Spring 2023 Couture 


OH MY GOD! Armani blew me away ! The collection was longer than others with 77 looks, but I didn't want it to end! First of all the backdrop for the collection was breathtaking, it complimented all of the looks. Ah I have so much to say and I don't know where to start.. ok.. so... the 3 looks above ^ are my favourites in the collection. I MEAN, Look at the way the fabric drapes on the body. The first dress flowed as the model strutted down the runway. The rhombus print also got bigger as it reached the bottom, very ethereal and flattering.  The second look is breathtaking, I can't get over the silhouette. The sheer plunging neckline with the rhombus overlay is a masterpiece. 


Of course without looking at the show notes, you can see the collection is inspired by traditional harlequin costumes or a more colourful take on a Pierrot clown. This is seen through the diamonds and the large ruffle collars. As you can see above I broke it down into two sections,  first there is a classic design, very chic and wearable. And then there are other designs below that are a little more on the nose for the concept. In the show notes it mentioned that these specific looks are "for someone young with a quirky sense of humour". It is couture after all! They probably had so much fun creating these unique on the nose pieces. Armani knows his market and created beautiful garments that are more wearable that I predict we will be seeing on the red carpet! 


 Some designs had an "obvious" use of the harlequin print but there were some more subtle prints, like for example in the first photo above you can see the diamond in the black sheer fabric. It was also used in handbags and shoes. The ruffle Pierrot collar also took the shape of metalic flower petals ? A beautiful take on a collar (I want one!) 


Armani also has some 1980s elements in the collection. The large bows on the first dress, and the cropped little jackets with padded shoulders are very reminiscent of the era. I don't know how to explain it (Maybe its the colour palette) but some looks almost gave a 1980s punk look? As I've mentioned time and time again I have a dislike for the 1980s but in this case I think it actually works and I love it ! I don't think it takes away from the rest of the looks in the collection, they work perfectly in the line up. 


As if it wasn't obvious the colour palette is black, watery green, purple, pale blue and metallics. The highlight of the collection for me were all of the beautiful gowns near the end, it was really hard to narrow down my favourites. I also love the amount of sequins used,  PLEASE watch the collection because all of these pieces sparkle when the models walk down the runway, it will take your breath away. Hands down my favourite collection of the day! if you want to see photos of the full collection click here. However I recommend you watch the whole runway show here! 


The end of Spring 2023 Couture week DAY 2 
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