In Paris, the fashion houses are focusing on proven concepts this week and strived for light, female collections. Brands such as Chanel emphasized the visual code of the house, other houses such as Dior or Schiaparelli also played with classic silhouettes. Only the debutants of the CoutureWeek ventured into experiments.
Proven codes
As the oldest, still active couture house in the world, Chanel celebrated 110 years of Haute Couture this season with many references to his heritage. The catwalk in the Grand Palais in Paris consisted of two interlocking letters C, the initials of founder Coco Chanel and the now unmistakable logo of the brand.
Prior to the arrival of the future creative director Matthieu Blazy, the Haute Couture collection designed by the creative studio grabbed the tradition of the house. Tweed costumes with the typical button closures were frequently presented; Black, long bows adorned the collars of blouses and jackets-all looks consistently combined with the iconic two-tone sandals. Glittering tweed, lace and silk in pastel shades brought lightness into the collection.
The dizzying heights of craftsmanship
This season, Schiaparelli took more distance from the startling designs that creative director Daniel Roseberry in the rebirth of the fashion house from the surrealistic heritage of the founder of the same name. He continued the game with reality, but with more subtle details that are rooted in the essence of Couture – the craftsmanship.
An impressive example was a corset bustier dress: exaggerated accentuated hips played with the classic shape of the corset, more than 3000 sewn-up Trompe-l’oeil Satin pearls with our perception. At the same time, they also demonstrated the skill of the fashion house and the exploration of what Couture can do.
The title of the SS25 show “Icarus” was appropriate for this-derived from the tragic Greek mythological figure that poured out of heaven because he approached the sun and the gods too closely with his wings. “Haute Couture strives to reach great heights; it promises to escape from our complex reality,” said Daniel Roseberry in the show notes. “It also reminds us that perfection has a price.”
Fairy -tale girl world
The Paris Fashion House Dior also demonstrated the physical craftsmanship of his couture workshop, while it escaped reality in the spirit. Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri was inspired by the A-Line of the young Yves Saint Laurent for Dior from 1958 and the Cigale-Silhouette that the founder of the house itself designed for a coutures show in 1952.
Between the historical inspirations, crinolines always appeared – covered with tulle or set with fringes and floral embroidery. Tops with puffed sleeves and short puffing pants from lace and Iroquois-shaped feathers for the hair gave the collection a girlish, slightly rebellious touch. The flight from reality to the Wonderland of Stijlen only became complete with the naive images of artist Rithika Merchant in the background of the catwalk.
What is Couture allowed?
Against the trend of elegant evening dresses and light dresses, designer Alessandro Michele ventured into relatively heavy material during his haute couture debut at the Roman fashion house Valentino.
He remained faithful to his maximalistic style and not only seemed to explore the boundaries of the craftsmanship of Valentino’s studio, but given the abundance of different styles and looks also the history of couture through the centuries and continents.
In the first look, a harlequin tulle dress, stuck 1300 hours of handicraft. And the list shown in the background of the show with the dress contained more than 60 keywords of associations of Michele – such as “Commedia dell’arte, Grafism, 341 Sky, Middle Ages, Bustier, Dramaturgia, Vitruvius, 16th century, …” . And so it continued the next 47 looks.
As long as it’s beautiful?
In the series of collections that want to be light, airy and beautiful, Ludovic de Saint Sernin reminded as a guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier that Couture can also paint a different image of gender. The fashion designer that has become known and successful by gender fluid played with the maritime characteristics of Gaultier. But instead of wealthy ladies on a cruise, he dressed lusty beings from the depths of the oceans-and eventually appeared in a black, shoulderless dress with a very narrow waspaill.
