Couture finds its flow in Paris

Designers balanced subtle elegance and unapologetic flair this Paris haute couture fashion week.

Schiaparelli haute couture.

Fashion reflects the world we live in – even the elevated reality of haute couture, which presents the ultimate in craftsmanship from top fashion brands. For the autumn/winter ’23/’24 couture shows, which wrapped this week in Paris, luxury labels showed rare garments that might only be worn by a privileged few, but many carried a sense of ease and classicism craved by audiences at large.

The opening collections at couture week were bold, unmissable displays of extravagance and artisanship, inspiring feelings of fantasy among many.

Thom Browne, the American designer known for his tailoring and otherworldly silhouettes, decamped to Paris for his first haute couture show much to audiences’ delight. Schiaparelli’s Daniel Roseberry, another American in Paris, carried on surrealist maker Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy by channelling artists like Yves Klein and Jack Whitten through outré pieces; a hand-etched coat, and a large white jacket with toylike wooden hands dangling from the front, were highlights.

Thom Browne. Picture: Getty

Schiaparelli.

A similar respect for historic glamour was also visible at Balenciaga. For his third couture show, artistic director Demna took viewers inside hallowed halls where fashion king Cristóbal Balenciaga dressed clients in the ’50s and ’60s, and even invited Danielle Slavik, Mr. Balenciaga’s original muse, to open the show. Demna’s message was to show that clothing can be armour—proven literally by the closing look, a 3D-printed metal dress modelled from a knight’s suit, which immediately went viral online as filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh watched on from the front row. Balenciaga experienced a set of bumps last year after the release of two controversial ad campaigns, leading to public apologies from the brand. This collection’s emphasis on timeless craftsmanship showed an aim to turn over a new leaf.

Anna Wintour, Baz Luhrmann and Michelle Yeoh in the front row at Balenciaga couture.

At Balenciaga and other labels, timeless elegance grabbed attention. Chanel refined the enduring gowns and tweed outerwear mastered by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel in its presentation, held on a cobbled path beside the Seine River. Dior showed ethereal white flowy looks that didn’t save on incredible craftsmanship, from kaftans to Grecian numbers inspired by goddesses. At Fendi, artistic director Kim Jones presented couture that was enchanting in its visible wearability; look 2, a draped green silk gown, was an undeniable highlight, as was the closing ensemble, a wrap jacket and pencil skirt embellished with hundreds of pink gemstones.

Fendi. Picture: Getty

Couture with an essence of the everyday was also seen at Valentino, which led with a quote from Roman sculptor Constantin Brâncuși: “Simplicity is complexity resolved.” A highlight of the week, Valentino’s range subverted the desire for high-octane glamour that many expect from couture, by bringing a new life to wardrobe staples. Case in point: the opening look, a crisp white shirt and recycled Levi’s jeans (painstakingly hand-stitched with sparkle, no less), and non-stiff gowns that encouraged free movement, made by Valentino’s atelier as part of creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s goal to democratise high fashion.

With the thrilling week now done and dusted, fashion lovers will now have to wait for another six months, until the spring/summer 2024 shows, to get their haute couture fix.