Held semiannually in the city of lights, Paris Fashion Week is a blur of mesmerizing chaos that paved way for its participants to create and pretend. Fashion holds a different meaning to everyone, but this week is dedicated to those who view it as an art form to the highest degree.
Here, I rounded up some of my favorite looks from the new collections debuted at Paris Fashion Week—not every show was included, but I made sure to highlight every show that really struck me. You can see the rest of the looks in the collections on the Vogue Runway app or by clicking the link to the full show I included to really get a feel for the atmosphere. This was yet another iconic end to fashion month and furthered my appreciation for many designers.
DISCLAIMER: ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF VOGUE AT VOGUERUNWAY.COM. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE IMAGES DISPLAYED.
Monday, February 25th
Rokh
Despite being pretty unknown, Rok Hwang was given the opening slot of Paris Fashion Week. In naming his collection “Teenage Nightmare”, he wanted to tell a story that was youth-oriented for a mature crowd. I loved the color palette and layering of this collection, and definitely got the message Hwang was trying to convey through the imperfect twist on business casual.
Jacquemus
Some have called Simon Porte Jacquemus “the new Karl Lagerfeld.” The whimsical, yet elegant nature of this collection supported that comparison for me, making it one of my favorites out of the whole week. A lot of RTW looks I wouldn’t sport down to every piece, but he’s an exception.
Tuesday, February 26th
Christain Dior
A genius mix of sportswear and
Anrealage
This collection was hard to wrap my mind around. Somehow Kunihiko Morinaga made big, oversized pieces intricately laced with wonderful detail. I loved the second look I included. The oversized gray sweater makes me want to be sitting by a fireplace overlooking the Swiss alps. As if.
Saint Laurent
This show was everything to me. I think Saint Laurent ties with Sacai and Chanel as my favorite shows from the week. The bustier tops, the fur, leather, and color somehow made for a totally badass, yet somehow Parisian feel. If I were to be buried in any of the looks from fashion month this year it would be one of these.
Wednesday, February 27th
Mugler
Casey Cadwallader made architectural tailoring one of his goals to “do the house justice” with this collection. I adored the mix of well-tailored and flowy pieces in these looks, and the red boots are to die for.
Maison Margiela
Another collection with tailored pieces, however, every single look complimented each other seamlessly. I loved the construction of these garments and could see myself wearing a lot of them with something much simpler.
Aalto
Not a house I’ve become totally familiar with, but I loved the edgy twist on everyday streetwear.
Dries Van Noten
With another beautiful color palette, Dries Van Notes wanted to cast “a strangeness” over his new RTW collection. The off-the-shoulder fur and orange pieces made me adore everything about these looks.
Guy Laroche
In addition to the hats, the marbled skirt and blazer combos to me screamed: elite Russian spy, but make it fashion. The all black sophisticated, but sexy styles made these looks some of my favorites to not only drool over, but acquire a lot of personal inspiration from.
Kenzo
Kenzo has always been a personal favorite, the creativity and colorful nature of this house has always inspired me. I loved the use of fur in these looks, and the color palette had
Thursday, February 28th
Chloe
Charming and feminine, Chloe debuts another killer collection full of beautifully constructed pieces with very, very small touches of whimsical
Ann Demeulemeester
Again, another beautiful collection with fur and flowy pieces. As soon as I saw the pink silk dress against the black contrasting garments and the
Y/Project
I adored everything about this! This show was probably one of the most interesting to watch in my opinion. My eyes were constantly being redirected to a new detail in each look—from the
Rick Owens
Post-apocalptic chic? I can get behind that.
Off-White
It’s no surprise this was another one of my personal top shows. I have religiously followed Virgil Abloh since his boom in the fashion and entertainment industry, and this show is just another example of why. The atmosphere, the uniqueness of the garments, the way the pieces were styled, etc. was how Abloh was able
Isabel Marant
Marant’s muse is often the “global traveler with a taste for style and adventure” which could probably be my LinkedIn bio. That’s why I always love her collections. They make me want to go far, far away and look good doing so.
Friday, March 1st
Loewe
Jonathan Anderson has commented that his looks are “quite strict and crafted”, but I adored the textures and details that made you really feel like you were in the heart of Paris.
Balmain
I think I’ve drooled over every Balmain collection I’ve laid my eyes on, and this one is no exception. The denim mixed with the killer black pieces and sexy, yet sophisticated tailored wear makes for yet another badass series of looks. In the words of Oliver Rousteing, the Balmain woman “is a troublemaker, and she doesn’t care. She’s defiant, but she is a paradox: She can be sweet and romantic too; she can be an angel…or she can be a devil. She cannot be categorized.”
Nina Ricci
The irony between the two
Andrew Gn
The combination of animal print and velvet jacquard is something that I’d never think would work until seeing this collection. The looks I chose were feminine, yet striking and chic, and something I would steal right of the model in it’s entirety.
Celine
Oh hell yeah. Old Celine was back in this collection and I lived for it. The aviators and skirts reminded me of why Celine, is in fact, Celine. Fashion nostalgia at its finest.
Saturday, March 2nd
Altuzarra
Joseph Altuzarra wanted to encapsulate the feeling of freedom and independence in his collection, which I believe he does. This collection reminded me a lot of the Isabel Marant one, but impressed me just the same.
Elie Saab
This was definitely one of the shows I was wowed by. I adored how this collection progressed as the show went on from simple, feminine looks to powerful, intimidating finales.
Cedric Charlier
How a collection could be so badass, yet delicate at the same time I don’t know, but Charlier manages to meet both as his looks ranged from floral muted tones to feathery and dark details.
Hermes
Another one of my favorites from all of
Sunday, March 3rd
Balenciaga
Minimal styles and tailored pieces consumed this collection, but I was a huge fan of these two looks in particular. The neon and leopard print made for a fierce runway
Akris
Another house I wasn’t so familiar
Valentino
The whimsical nature of the patterns, styles, and textures of the Valentino garments brought life to the collection. I
Each x Other
I’ve always admired the way Each x Other does chic simplicity. The designers called it a “spiritual wardrobe”: clean, spare, and functional.
Monday, March 4th
Stella McCartney
Out of all the outerwear I saw, I think Stella McCartney nailed it the hardest.
Sacai
Sacai’s show was another one of my
Giambattista Valli
The florals and prints in Valli’s fall collection were toughened up with his use of leather and structure, which gave this collection a touch of attitude to a whimsical series of designs.
Beautiful People
Hidenori Kumakiri created a play between “restraint and indulgence” and “covering up and revealing,” as he put it. I loved the all-white look especially, the flow of the cape and silk detailing made for an intimidating, yet feminine look.
Alexander McQueen
“I want people to be afraid of the women I dress,” said Alexander McQueen. I think the dark romance feel to this collection did McQueen’s desire justice.
Tuesday, March 5th
Chanel
This was another collection where it was extremely hard for me to pick just a few looks. The atmosphere of this show was completely unmatched. The
Anais Jourden
I’m a personal fan of all black, white, and gray looks, which I really loved about this collection. The dark colors contrasted with the ’90s femininity that Anais Mak wanted to tap into.
Louis Vuitton
At the final show of the fall collections, the idea was to re-create various tribes and subcultures before Instagram flattened experience and made us all look the same.
