(Paris) Draped, sequined and in motion: the house of Dior paid homage to the Olympics, almost a month before the Paris Olympic Games, with silhouettes in mythological drapes and a more sporty series, with improbable couture swimsuits.
To restore this antique statue effect, designer Maria Grazia Chiuri explained that she worked on the pleats on the shoulder hook, plunging bare backs and wet hairstyle at the back, emerging from the water effect.
The artisans also worked with jersey, this metal mesh available this season in gold, silver and white structured by bustiers. There are astonishing sportswear pieces like the red bathrobe, decorated with mosaic mirrors or the gold scale swimsuit.
The parade was organized in the gardens of the Rodin Museum, around the works of the African-American visual artist Faith Ringgold, an activist figure who died in April. His monumental works, embroideries on the theme of sport, will remain visible at the museum until the end of the week.
Haute couture week began Monday morning with the traditional Schiaparelli show and a return to basics for a “Phoenix” show, which features volume cuts.
“I didn’t want to play with the usual tricks or again with the baby robot (a futuristic creation from the last fashion show that went viral on the networks, editor’s note) or anything that could overshadow the mastery of clothing,” he confided to the press after the show Daniel Roseberry, the American designer with scissors for Schiaparelli since 2019.
Another highlight of the day: after the success of the exhibition dedicated to her this winter in Paris, the Dutchwoman Iris Van Herpen imagined an artistic performance with works of art that she created at the same time as her latest haute couture pieces.
No parade, but a stroll between four immense silk canvases reflecting his taste for silence and natural elements, and five mannequins as if hung on the wall and similar to living paintings, which will then be taken down.
At Giambattisa Valli, pink in peony, chiffon and organza transported directly into the aesthetic of the hit series “The Bridgerton Chronicles”, romantic and flashy.
Not to be confused with Parisian fashion week (ready-to-wear), women’s haute couture week takes place in January for summer and mid-year for winter, only in Paris, because this sector is protected by a legal definition (number of rooms, workshop, craftsmen, etc.).
Until Thursday, 30 haute couture houses are presenting their creations, with the absences of Valentino and Fendi and two new arrivals over the past year: Balenciaga and Thom Browne.
The rising Maison Margiela with its designer in the process of redemption, John Galliano, only shows once a year and cannot claim the label.
For a fashion house, adding this double annual tour to its bow is a good business idea, as customers are jostling for the Asian and Gulf markets. Lanvin and Saint Laurent under Vaccarello could claim a return to haute couture.
But there seems to be a traffic jam among artisans. “We have a real capacity problem,” the creator of Fendi’s haute couture line, Kim Jones (at Dior Homme all year round), told AFP, who preferred to give up for this collection.
These creations, mainly intended for red carpets, major jet-set events and galas, attract a crowd of stars who come to scout, including Kylie Jenner and Doja Cat at Schiaparelli, Jennifer Lopez and the Korean muse Jisoo at Dior.
