As Fashion Month came to a close, Paris didn't hold back.
Fashion — Oct 05
At (long) last, the Fashion Month gauntlet has ended. Paris Fashion Week has closed out the four-week long tour of the latest highs and lows of style. And, we don’t know about you, but we’re officially ready for spring. From Saint Laurent’s triumphant Eiffel Tower event, to Balenciaga’s spiral seating arrangement, a Chanel showdown, that viral Maison Martin Margiela walk, and Balmain’s never-ending runway — Paris pulled out all the stops this season.
But, as with the territory, we’ve got people to see and trends to decipher. And we didn’t let the extra buzz attributed to the shows clog our newsfeeds (but J. Lo did make an impression). In Paris, several trends took hold: The psychedelic ‘70s took over at Paco Rabanne, Louis Vuitton, Isabel Marant, Miu Miu, and more; a sea of trench coats washed up at Junya Watanabe and Celine; futuristic fashions permeated the Marine Serre, Balmain, and Off-White catwalks; and so much else — to be unpacked below.
The key takeaway from the Paris shows, however, was designers’ ability to execute a clear, concise theme and stick to it from Look A to Look Z. When it comes to New York, for example, fashion shows tend to feel more like publicity stunts than a moment to pause and contemplate fashion’s near future. And London and Milan are great transition cities. But Paris, with its long history of couture and strong position that fashion is an art form as much as it is a viable business, is always a great place to end up.
Below, the trends that made us go oh la la. We’ll see you next season!
Photo: Victor Boyko/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Peter White/Getty Images.
Photo: Saviko/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
'70s Throwback
A lot of overt '70s vibes appeared across the runways, evoking several signature motifs from the era — like psychedelic florals, shaggy furs, grandma knitwear, velvet, and metal grommets. It's a period of fashion we haven't seen in a while, thanks to the ongoing '90s craze. And it was a period of fashion that is rife with its own game-changing ideas — so says designers like Giambattista Valli, Louis Vuitton, Paco Rabanne, and others at least — which couldn’t make its latest Paris resurgence more perfect timing.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Boyko/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Vive La French Trench
There have been a ton of iterations of trench coats on the runways this season, but no designers made them as much like centerpieces of their collections quite like the French. Sure, the idea of a trench coat is is no way a fresh take on indelible chicness — but Junya Watanabe, Celine, Balenciaga, etc. can’t be wrong about its significance in our wardrobes if it continues to show up season after season.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Stripes Are Here To Stay
Another root of French style, stripes took on many forms throughout the Paris collections — proving that the age old horizontal versus vertical stripes debate is dead. Now, displays Issey Miyake, Altuzarra, Christian Dior, and others, stripes can be just as unruly as their ubiquitous counterparts, polka dots and plaid.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
The Never-Ending Fashion Show
Several designers, including Christian Dior and Saint Laurent, sent more than 85 looks down the runway (with Balmain sending more than 100). In an industry that's trying to curb its excess problem with designers who are hard-pressed more than ever to capture — and hold — showgoers' attention, it's a bold move. When it comes to fashion, and excess, when is enough enough?
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
One Of These Is Not Like The Other
The Paris runways saw a lot of opposing designs this season — meaning, hybrid garments that saw wardrobe staples being fused and Frankensteined together (at Sacai, Haider Ackermann, Balmain, and Junya Watanabe). Read: a trench coat sewn onto a dress, a blazer plastered onto a white shirt, or a suit jacket that ends in a floor-length gown. It's a cool concept that non-European designers are daring enough to try. But, when it comes to dressing for life’s everyday tasks, will we be?
Dries Van Noten
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Chanel
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Haider Ackermann
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Balmain
Photo: Peter White/Getty Images.
Junya Watanabe
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Style In Black & White
As we’ve seen at every other fashion week so far, a wash of black and white continues to dominate spring. But Paris fused them together in what felt like a slew of black tie-oriented ensembles. Either this is just happenstance or pesky dress codes that seem to oppose each other yet call for the same thing might have finally met their match.
Photo: Victor Boyko/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Fashion That Really Got The Memo
There's a fine line between appreciation and appropriation — this, we know — but some designers, like Celine and Balenciaga, tend to stick so close to a theme that the clothes feel less wearable than intended. In other words, more costume-y than actually ready-to-be worn. This isn't really a bad thing, especially for people who use fashion as an escape. But how much longer are people going to buy hoodies for the price of next month’s rent for the sake of irony?
Photo: Victor Boyko/Getty Images.
Photo: Peter White/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Welcome To The Future Perhaps because of our attachment to ‘90s nostalgia (hello, The Matrix) or the ongoing evolution of downtown New York style, the "futuristic chic” look encouraged by Balenciaga still has a stronghold on European designers. Key elements of pulling it off include a pair of tiny sunglasses, strong shoulders, and an overall feeling of sleek and slicked back. Head over to the Marine Serre, Off-White, Dries Van Noten, and Balmain shows to see what we mean.
Photo: Peter White/Getty Images.
The Shows That Had People Talking
Though celebrities tend to use Paris Fashion Week as a time to join in on the conversation and turn some buzzworthy looks, many designers were the ones making headlines this season.— from the format of their shows to what went down on and off the runway. For some viral news moments, Google these: Chanel, Maison Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, Issey Miyakae, Saint Laurent, and the Dries Van Noten x Christian LaCroix collaboration (yes, that happened).
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