Chanel and Armani celebrate milestones in the Paris Haute Couture
Chanel and Armani celebrate milestones in the Paris Haute Couture
Haute Couture is a mystery to most. Only a select group of people, estimated a few thousand worldwide, is granted access to these extraordinary designs, mainly because of the exorbitant prices that they demand. The fashion designers who take part in this exclusive event in Paris have to meet strict criteria to be recognized by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the French fashion association.
The special features of the haute couture
Following the men's fashion week, in which ready-to-wear designs are presented, the haute couture pursues a completely different goal. The creations are not intended for daily use and cannot simply be purchased in a department store; Couture customers give up direct orders and have private rehearsals. As a result, the designs are often more experimental than commercial and present extraordinary Savoir-Fair.
solemn moments of the Paris Fashion Week
The week was full of solemn highlights, including Chanel's 110th anniversary in the Haute Couture. Presented in the Grand Palais on a catwalk that formed an interface in the form of an oversized "C", simulatingly the double C logo of the house, the collection was developed by the studio, while waiting for the arrival of the new designer Matthieu Blazy, which is expected to begin in April 2025.
The shortened rock suits in richly embroidered tweeds, decorated with decorative hems and shoulder lines, soft silk shirt dresses and capes with loop closure offer a fresh interpretation of classic codes of the French house.
eternal classic: Armani Privé
Giorgio Armani celebrated another large milestone with his 20th anniversary of his Couture line Armani Privé. The collection, which took place under the title "Lumières" (French for "light" and "enlightenment"), was in the newly acquired Palazzo Armani in the 8th arrondissement, a magnificent private villa with gilded decorations and a marble staircase.
The collection, consisting of 94 ensembles, from embroidered suits to elegant evening dresses in the style of the 1920s, offered a look back to iconic moments of his career and proved that the details are decisive in Armananis.
Waiting for luxury: Valentino
for Alessandro Michele, the designer of Valentino, means luxury to take time. After the presentation of his first couture collection for the Italian house, he explained that Valentino is now organizing a couture show per year instead of the usual two. Michele compared the haute couture with a ritual and described the process as a test of patience.
The show took place in the Palais Brongniart, the former Stock Exchange of Paris. Each outfit was accompanied by a number, which was an allusion to the early haute couture presentations, in which Models carried cards with their look. The mixture of Harlekin-Krinoline dresses, Moiré Ottoman trousers and rushed collar illustrated Michele's talent, genres and epochs.
femininity in fashion: Dior and Schiaparelli
At Dior, crinolins were also seen on the catwalk. The event in the Musée Rodin on the left side of the Seine was a real highlight of the week, with prominent guests such as Pamela Anderson, Venus Williams and Jenna Ortega in the front row.
Some models wore styles made of Raffia and lace, others were adorned with embroidered butterflies and dragonflies that represent a portable garden. Natural materials such as straw were woven into a broddery Anglaise with gold. The collection caused memories of "Alice in Wonderland" and included flower arrangements that were incorporated into the hair of the models and the fabrics.
The trapezoidal lines - first introduced by Yves Saint Laurent for Dior in 1958 - celebrated a comeback. The creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri announced that her inspiration in "to grow up the transition from childhood and how this moment is shown in a change in what we wear", lay.
In contrast, Daniel Roseberry offered a different idea of femininity for Schiaparelli with strongly tailored designs. A dramatic, naked colored dress with chinoisery embroidery, which was worn by Kendall Jenner, showed the emphasized hourglass figure. With the aim of "creating something that is new because it is old," Roseberry took the Haute Couture Pionier Charles Frederick Worth as a model, which illustrates the continuing interest of fashion in archive pieces and the rise of vintage as a status symbol.