Paris Haute Couture Week 2015: Our highlights from the shows
updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:22
From Chanel to Valentino and Dior, here are our favourite couture looks that got us wishing we had a million bucks to spend.
The one fashion week that has fawning and fanning ourselves out of sheer anxiety attacks from seeing resolutely gorgeous creations, is none other than Haute Couture Week in Paris. And even though these intricate and dreamy outfits may not see the light of day in our wardrobes, there’s no harm in fantasizing about them. Dreams are there for a reason after all.
We’ve already seen what John Galliano had in store for us weeks before the actual Haute Couture schedule for Maison Margiela (anyone else noticed the change in name?) so we’ll only be highlighting the remaining designers that showed during the week.
At Schiaparelli this time there was no creative director in charge – after Marco Zanini announced his departure – instead the collection was crafted by an in-house design team. While that concept was not exactly welcomed, the looks that went down the runway were. Filled with aspects of surrealism – an ode to Elsa Schiaparelli’s vein of design – the collection was toned down to result in a subtle blend of refined whimsy. Essentially we could even see these pieces fly off the racks at ready-to-wear retailers.
Then moving on to Dior, we saw sky-high scaffolding and long flights of stairs that models had to expertly make their way down from. While that must have been a frightening thought for the audience seated at ground level, fortunately, the girls descended without a hitch. Clothes wise, by playing with unconventional materials, Simons presented a lace shift dressed topped with a green floral-printed plastic coat, paired with thigh-high vinyl boots. Among the mix also included flared dresses that were nipped in tightly at the waist for the definitive ladylike silhouette. Essentially, he gave us two sides to the Dior coin.
Chanel this season had no supermarkets or streets but a garden blooming in the courtyard. Filled with fresh floral blossoms and bright saturated bolts of colour, the collection saw flat sock-like shoes, bared midriffs, formless skirts and huge hats hovering over the models’ heads. It seems like Karl Lagerfeld is similarly attempting to reinvent the Chanel look for today’s times.
Lastly, with Valentino and Elie Saab, the shows resembled beautiful fairy tales brimming with floor-length billowy gowns and high necks at Valentino and ethereal tulip-inspired pieces at Elie Saab. It’s hard not to be mesmerised by the designs as each model elegantly sashayed down the runway. Ahhh, if only we could grab one off the screen and put them on, if only.
Flip through the gallery above for more gorgeous designs by irrefutably talented designers.
Tarandip Kaur
