PARIS HAUTE COUTURE WEEK
Once upon a time everyone wore haute couture – today the world has changed, and even though the ready-to-wear fashion week has taken over the spotlight, Paris Haute Couture Week takes the prize of being the most prestigious of all fashion weeks. This week top designers have been showcasing some of the most beautiful collections for the upcoming spring / summer season, with the strongest theme being Mother Nature. We followed all of the shows and picked out our favourite moments, collections and details from the week.
Versace kicked off the Haute Couture Week with a catwalk full of sexy, sleek creations, as only Donatella Versace can pull of. This season the Italian designer showcased a handful of sleek jumpsuits, very ‘70s! Our favourite look is the white jumpsuit shown below, worn by Karlie Kloss.
Schiaparelli, the brand created by Elsa Schiaparelli, which is known as the Italian rival of Coco Chanel, took the stage with their One Thousand and One Nights collection in beautiful diamond colours and tailored cuts. We were very impressed, given the fact that the couture house faced this season’s collection without a designer – well done!
Strong colours, cut-outs, graphic lines combined with a full Christian Dior skirt and suited up with a pair of patent leather boots. Raf Simons second collection for Dior might not be surprising but it sure is both playful and beautiful, and keeps true to Dior’s DNA shaped by the New Look in 1947.
With a black and white base decorated with small flowers in bright colours, Valli surely convinced everyone of Italian designers’ natural born ability to combine materials, patterns and silhouettes.
Chanel, the house led by the living legend Karl Lagerfeld, keeps surprising you even when you thought it was not possible… With a pastel botanic setting, the catwalk was filled with seamless one-piece layers in chiffons, with layers in pastel, flowers, sculptured and colourful looks – very romantic and very modern.
The exotic vibe continued as Giogio Armani Prié showed that it is very doable to play around with shapes and cuts while remaining true to the brand’s tailored ID. The catwalk was filled with layers of douche metallic colours, patterns of palm leaves and transparent details.
Valentino’s duo Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli showed a poetic collection with a strong undertone inspired by the Elizabethan Era. We absolutely adore their collection of long lengths dresses with detailed embroidery on the heavy fabrics, of course including their trademark red dresses.
Elie Saab knows how to shape that ultra feminine yet sensual look. The soft douche colours combined with light sheer transparent fabrics, surrounded by feathers and pearls made us hold our breath with pure admiration while the models walked the catwalk.
Jean Paul Gaultier, or the ‘ rebel’ of the fashion world, showed his avant-garde and rebellious style with a cinematic collection of black and white creations, denim details and emphasized waistlines.
Zuhair Murad made the entire room sparkle with his collection of pearls and glitter sewed on light transparent fabrics to create beautiful floral designs. With low V-shaped décolletages and silver metal belts, we are expecting to see his collection on the red carpet.
The design duo Ralph & Russo truly emphasised how they gained their rapid success in the world of couture, when models with bare feminine shoulders, voluminous silhouettes and perfectly draped dresses entered the catwalk.
