Fashion Month is around the corner. We’ve re-dubbed it fashion month since the individual fashion weeks honestly feel like a big blur and meld together. The event that kicks it all off in women’s fashion? Couture Fashion Week.
If you’re a new fashion week follower, you’ll see the trends your friends will be wearing a year or, depending on the region, even two years from now. If you’re a seasoned professional, you might be anxiously anticipating the next wave of trends you’ll be picking up as soon as a few weeks after they hit the runways. Either way, couture preps us for the fantasy of the experience.
Guo Pei
An ethereal display of “an alternate universe” as Pei puts it may reference a macabre world akin to Stranger Things.
Valentino
Pierpaolo Piccioli developed a runway canvas of inclusivity and color. His mood board included Diana Vreeland paintings, Avedon portraits, Guy Bourdin shots, Rosso Fiorentino canvases. The eclectic mix reflected in the looks he sent down the runway, full of vigor, color, and life.
Zuhair Murad
He is known as the glam evening gown and bridal dress creator, but this couture fashion week the designer took a trip to Marrakech and brought the inspiration with him. Patchwork reminiscent of tiles and traditional tattoos decorate the dresses and brings a new worldly flair to his line.
Viktor & Rolf
The aptly named Spiritual Glamour collection gave us a glimpse of a future glamour rooted in sustainability and natural garment creation. The designer duo never fails to impress with designs and a message, and this year’s collection harkens to the simplicity of creation with the earth’s balance in mind.
Jean Paul Gaultier
The king of couture tucked away his waist-whittling belts in favor of more relaxed silhouettes that still glow with glamour. Drawing inspiration from hoodies, the iconic fashion designer stayed true to his fun-loving roots while pushing the brand forward. He opted for fur prints instead of using the fur, citing the need for tighter regulation around fur use and cessation of fur’s role in fashion.
Ronald van der Kemp
Following the line of sustainability, 98% of van der Kemp’s works are made from re-appropriated materials. True to couture, his ideas push fashion boundaries both in their looks and political ideology.
Givenchy
Clare Waight Keller touched on traditional boundaries while introducing a touch of whimsical fantasy in her collection titled noblesse radicale.
Armani Privé
At first glance, the Armani show seems to be demure with black evening-wear. Before long, the sweet center flowers the runway with pastel tones before the show closes out again with the demure dark tones.
Alexandre Vauthier
The typically super-edgy designer is taking a turn for sweeter tones with floral prints and poofy dresses.
Elie Saab
The designer looked east to Asia for inspiration this season. With designers and celebrities getting into hot water for culturally inappropriate naming conventions and styles (ahem, Kim as of recent), Saab gives us a whiff of inspiration while tying it to his own house’s style. “I was drawn to East Asia’s rich culture, and the more I let my mind dive into it, the more I explored imperial volumes within the collection, using signature touches that remain true to the Maison.”
Christian Dior
Maria Grazia Chiuri erased the color from her couture collection, making the construction and flow of the clothes the focus.
Iris van Herpen
Iris van Herpen sculptor Anthony Howe, who’s spherical Omniverse sculpture adorned the venue. We can get lost in the complexity of van Herpen’s construction, but it’s best to leave it to our eyes for admiration than mull things over too long.
Giambattista Valli
Instead of doing a standard runway presentation, Valli chose to present the collection more quietly on mannequins. The looks all stemmed from his most popular social media-friendly designs.
Chanel
Virginie Viard premiered the first Chanel couture collection after Lagerfeld’s passing. She kept true to the house with the designs, with her impeccable eye for craftsmanship shining through and continuing the Chanel legacy.
