Far from the ready-to-wear, mass-produced product, haute couture is that time, attention to detail and glamour come together to form real nuggets of creativity worthy of any season in Milan, London, New York and Paris.
Paris has established itself as the capital of fashion, especially when it comes to presenting a designer's new collection - whether that be on the runway or during IG lives from backstage. Fashion weeks in the French capital are held twice a year according to the season. At the beginning of 2022, men's fashion and haute couture took centre stage to present the spring-summer collections.
While you can find each haute couture house on the catwalks season after season, there are certain runway shows that establish themselves year after year as great shows not to be missed. Big names such as Dior or Hermès are a huge source of inspiration for young fashion designers.
In Paris, Fashion Week is also highly anticipated for the places it allows us to discover in the capital itself. While Milan, London and New York shows are also bold, Paris shows use their great landmarks to their advantage, creating an atmosphere that immerses us in the imagination of the wardrobes in question.
All major fashion houses work hard to make their shows the most successful of this particular fashion week. Here's a brief overview of the most beautiful Parisian fashion shows for Fashion Week.
The Chanel Show: the Timeless Elegance of Fashion Week
Any artistic director will tell you that Chanel has managed to create images, looks and trends that are both chic and contemporary. Their fashion shows are no exception!
On 25 January 2022, Virginie Viard's new haute couture collection was presented in the heart of the ephemeral Grand-Palais. The haute-couture artistic director of Chanel (who succeeds Karl Lagerfeld) opted for a refined opening for this presentation.
Guests (Sofia Coppola, Pharell Williams, Vanessa Paradis, Angèle, etc.) were able to see Charlotte Casiraghi - a member of the princely family of Monaco and a champion horsewoman - on horseback, wearing a Chanel tweed jacket and surrounded by short films made by the contemporary artist Xavier Veilhan. This bold choice is definitely something you haven't seen in Milan, London or New York!
The models walked the runway wearing the iconic houndstooth pattern typical of Chanel shows, but also dark tweed, the flagship material of winter, and floral patterns, in order to bring a little freshness to the end of the year. You can find classic suits, the ever more delicate embroideries, as well as more formal dresses.
With an extraordinary venue like the Grand Palais, a well-thought-out concept, and hand-picked celebrities - even a backstage seat would inspire awe from such a truly great fashion show. Chanel has once again established itself as a reference for Paris Fashion Week.
AMI: the House that Lights up Paris Fashion Week
On 19 January, Alexandre Mattiuissi's brand was also one of the must-see Parisian events. While the label has been one of the names to follow closely for more than ten years, serving us iconic looks and trends, you have probably read or have seen the transformation AMI has undergone. AMI no longer only designs men's fashion shows, far from it. Through eclectic silhouettes, it is gradually making its mark on PFW (Paris Fashion Week).
And the least we can say is that for this autumn (or fall) collection, the front row, as well as the catwalks of the shows, were very chic. Anchored in the Palais Brongniart on the Place de la Bourse, the event immersed the guests in a typical Parisian metro station, a symbol of a certain plurality.
Between the sounds of the metro and the invitations designed in the shape of metro tickets, the taste for off-beats and inclusiveness were the real stars of this show. On the catwalk, Isabelle Adjani, Ben Attal, Anna Ewers, Laetitia Casta, Paloma Elsesser, and Emily Ratajkowski were all there.
From oversized looks to long coats and fluorescent colours, AMI made fashion and this autumn-winter collection resonate throughout the capital. Aspiring designers take inspiration: playing off of or inverting the latest trends and looks of today can get you from backstage to the front row!
The Louis Vuitton Show: Between Creativity and Emotion
In typical haute couture fashion spirit and in keeping with the values of the last show, Louis Vuitton presented this year's first collection by designer Virgil Abloh since his death in November 2021 at the age of 41. While the designer had been preparing for his upcoming men's shows, this one was a testament to his singular spirit.
On 20 January, the Dreamhouse thus presented the work of Louis Vuitton's French Haute Couture within this fall, autumn-winter fashion show. This "Dreamhouse" is none other than a "dream house", unveiled without partitions within the Parisian Carreau du Temple. Directed and choreographed by Yoann Bourgeois, the Vuitton show was an open-air theatre.
In the centre of the capital, the fashion show was broadcast live on the internet, so that we could understand to what extent the designer's gaze was that of a big child, constantly amazed by the world. This perception could be seen not only in the decor but also in the outfits, which were a departure from all the patterns known until then.
The guests were hand-picked, including Naomi Campbell, Tahar Rahim, Sergio Ramos and Venus Williams. All of them were able to admire the combination of streetwear and casual, as well as the angel wings to close the show.
The Dior Show: When Art Takes Over Fashion Week
Between Jean-Paul Gaultier, Saint Laurent and Schiaparelli, the Dior fashion show has made many hearts beat race during Fashion Week. And for good reason, from the spring collection to the perfumes, everything is studied in an elegant and refined way. And with this in mind, what better place than the famous Rodin Museum to showcase once again all that the haute couture atelier is capable of doing?
On 24 January, the artistic director of the house Maria Grazia Chiuri gave birth to an autumn collection that was as much expected as it was successful, as the Museum's gardens welcomed personalities such as Isabelle Adjani, Nicolas Maury, Stella Banderas, Camille Rowe, Rosamund Pike, Cara Delevingne, Chiara Ferragni, and Léna Mahfouf (Léna Situations).
A host of celebrities came to admire the gardens of the Rodin Museum, as well as the large box for the fashion show. The walls of the place were covered with embroidered tapestries for the occasion, echoing the Indian-inspired works of the artist couple Madhvi and Manu Parekh.
A certain idea of magic, where colours and imagination merge, where the ornaments respond to the embroidery of the outfits. Halfway between the mystical and the inspirational, this show shows that Dior is one of the most beautiful haute couture shows.
The spirit of the show is in keeping with the place, a symbol that harmony is well and truly present, thanks to the numerous embroideries, the white eyeliner, the work on fluidity, and the overall sophistication of the decorations and cuts. A great lesson for all designers or students of sewing classes the world over!
The Valentino Show: the Quintessence of Fashion Week
The organisation of a fashion show remains a real challenge of styling and elegance, regardless of whether it's taking place in Milan, London or Paris. It's how high fashion brands make their collections part of the history of the fashion industry. Valentino's shows are as sumptuous as ever, which is also why the house led by Pierpaolo Piccioli has become one of the biggest names in fashion.
On 26 January, Valentino presented its "Anatomy of Couture" collection. With an evocative name, the aim was to highlight the know-how of skilled hands, through models each more different than the next, right up to the largest model.
Between feathers and evocation of the Venus de Milo, the Place Vendôme was able to see a whole part of the history of fashion and couture courses: that of today, where all morphologies are represented, and where the body is placed at the heart of creation. The idea of rethinking what makes models walk on the catwalk is not without beauty, and the Valentino designer embodied it perfectly.
Spurred on by the voice of British singer Anohni, the Place Vendôme is likely to remember this fashion show, which was both graceful and modern. And perhaps this is what makes the haute couture brands march on: to offer a vision of a designer, and a creator, together.
Fashion Week: History
It quickly becomes clear that a fashion show is not just about presenting a suit, dress or today's trends. The designers work hard to ensure that their creations are exceptional with exceptional pieces and places.
At the foot of the Eiffel Tower as well as in the sublime Muséedes Arts-Décoratifs, some shows have left their mark on history by their symbolism, their history, or even by their spectacular setting. Here is a selection of them, to help you build up your fashion culture and or even take a course in sewing!
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