Fashion is definitely a form of art. While many tend to forget that, Paris continues to remind everyone about it with its bi-annual fair, where fashion houses and designers present their most imaginative collections. This year’s Paris Haute Couture Weekspring-summer 2024 is a testament to that. From performing arts and new views on futurism to theatrical runway shows, these fashion houses elevate clothing to an artistic level.
Dior
Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri centered Dior's spring-summer 2024 couture line on the word "aura," with pieces that aim to adapt to the body of their wearers—their aura. Among the stand-out pieces of the collection were the designer's reimaginations of the trench coat. Decorative elements such as floral in different forms also graced the runway. While the pieces in gold, white, gray burgundy, and green revisited the archival designs of Monsieur Dior.
Chanel
As many creatives have said, inspiration can come from anywhere. For French design house Chanel, its couture collection’s inspiration came from a button. Creative director Virginie Viard looked at the button and took it to the elegant world of ballet. On that note, the brand's couture collection can be described as something full of grace and elegance. Ethereal and ultra-feminine were its long dresses, straight skirts, and feathered pieces. Signature elements of the brand, like the camellia flower and tweeds, were present on the runway. While its take on the leotard and tulle pieces was a nod to the artistic dance.
Fendi
For Fendi's spring-summer 2024 couture show, creative director Kim Jones aimed to predict the future by looking at the legacy of the late Karl Lagerfeld in the Italian fashion house. For the designer, the future involves humanism, encouraging him to produce futuristic versions of pieces such as the column dress, off-shoulder gowns, and tailored tops. The collection was also a celebration of textures, from glimmering silver textiles and smooth leather to sheer gauzy pieces and fringe.
Maison Margiela
Drama unfolded on the runway of Maison Margiela. Seasoned fashion designer John Galliano presented a theatrical show complete with a rain-soaked Parisian street as the backdrop for the couture line. Whimsical and dark, the collection featured corsetry, breastplates, tulle drapery, and silk organza pieces. It's also provocative, with muses of different forms and gender delicately barring their skin with its sheer designs, playing with the Belle Epoque era and mid-century couture.
Viktor and Rolf
For its latest couture collection, Viktor and Rolf found beauty in imperfection. Designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren presented a play of "polish versus raw, studied versus improvised, and serious versus funny." Dubbed “Viktor and Rolf Scissorhands,” the collection showcased 28 all-black pieces, divided into seven groups of four. The first set were flawless pieces that served as the blueprint of the cut, punctured, and slashed pieces, “allowing for the body to show in unexpected ways.”
Robert Wun
The chicest horror story came to life in London-based designer’s Robert Wun show. Apart from his signature raindrop crystal designs and umbrella-inspired looks, his spring 2024 couture collection titled "For Love" birthed gowns in a myriad of prints—flames, paint splatter, and handwriting—some with romantic ruffles and other sculptural elements. But what took everyone’s breath away were his finale pieces, a wedding look with red embellishments reminiscent of blood stains and a red velvet gown with a human figure hanging over the shoulder.
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