editor MARIE-PAULINE CESARI
words by ELIYA WEINSTEIN

With a repertoire exceeding 100 shows and presentations, The Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall-Winter 2024 unfolded from February 26th to March 5th amidst a captivating storm that lent a romantic aura to the city. Each day brimmed with the latest offerings for the Fall-Winter season, marking a significant year for both cherished designers reminiscing on their Maison journeys and emerging talents paving the path for fresh beginnings. Amidst the whirlwind of creativity and innovation, certain materials, colors, and silhouettes emerged as standout trends of the season.

While fur traditionally evokes thoughts of colder months, throughout FW24, predominantly faux iterations defied convention, appearing in unconventional shapes and silhouettes. Leather also commanded attention, draped, molded, and manipulated to articulate unique expressions of the human experience. Transparent dresses turned heads with graceful allure, affirming designers’ commitment to the show’s must-go-on ethos regardless of the chill.

This season witnessed remarkable explorations of color, ranging from vibrant hues exuding joy to gentle, inspiring pastels. Plaids and checks took center stage in the realm of patterns, each rendition imbuing a distinct character and narrative.

The timeless trench coat experienced a resurgence, reimagined in contemporary iterations amidst the relentless rain. The bold shoulder, a perennial favorite, found renewed strength in rounded forms that echo the natural shape of shoulders. And though not prevailing, the return of skinny jeans subtly signaled a burgeoning trend.

Monday, February 26th

Paris Fashion Week FW24 commenced with the unveiling of the final collections by IFM Master of Arts students, each comprising 5 to 7 looks, marking the culmination of their journey before graduation. Vincent Garnier Pressiat set an electrifying tone with his eponymous label’s show, delegating creative freedom to four talents in the production process. His collection rebelled against the relentless pace of modern life, drawing inspiration from BDSM-wear and the intricacies of lingerie corsetry. Crafted from deadstock fabric, his garments exuded uninhibited sensuality, merging faux fur, leather, and bare skin in a raw, magnetic fusion.

In a parallel defiance of contemporary norms, Vaquera‘s presentation offered a poignant critique of money and capitalism. Patric DiCaprio and Bryn Taubensee, designers behind the New York label, infused their anarchist spirit into a seductive, punk-inspired collection replete with graffitied dollar bills and references to guerrilla warfare.

 

Tuesday, February 27th

Opting for a presentation rather than a runway, Peter Do infused his latest collection, titled “Áo Dài” after Vietnam’s national dress, with his signature sartorial freedom. Softening formalwear through flowing textiles and tailoring, he achieved a calm yet potent aesthetic. Maitrepierre explored the interplay of the real and digital worlds, creating wearable art with Kawaii and video game aesthetics. Original sculptures by New York visual artist Gracelee Lawrenece, made with GMO corn residues, adorned with abstract cat faces, and laser-cut dresses, bridged the realms of fashion and virtuality. Using deadstock and recycled materials throughout their collection, they also pushed the boundaries of eco-luxury.

In Christian Dior‘s FW24 collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri, there was a Miss Dior takeover, with the House’s original ready-to-wear line logo blown up across trenches, skirts, and blazers, focusing on wearability through a neutral color palette. Accompanied by a soundtrack of Gainsbourg songs from the same era, the collection harked back to the brand’s 1967 launch. Ester Manas made a return from a runway hiatus, showcasing their signature bodycon silhouettes reimagined with inventive fabrics, textures, and details inspired by their circle of friends. Exploring leather outerwear and animal prints, they brought a fresh sense of cool to contemporary fashion, complemented by a diverse cast of models.

Aligned with the Yves Saint Laurent Museum’s current exhibition “Transparencies,” Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello left nothing to the imagination. Delicate, see-through shirts, skirts, and dresses juxtaposed with heavy-looking, boxy jackets and blazers, portrayed the opposing pressures modern women face. The range of earthy hues, from olive green to rich chocolate, and magnetic blues, referenced Morocco and whispered echoes of Yves Saint Laurent’s mastery of color.

Wednesday, February 28th

For Courrèges, Nicolas Di Felice explored sensitivity and sensual pleasure through a collection that played with primary shapes and symmetry. Models rested their hands in front-and-centered pockets, infusing a literal sensitive touch. The runway, covered in Lycra, undulated like a breathing chest, adding to the sensory experience. Protective layers of outerwear cocooned the body in the initial looks, gradually unraveling to reveal sheer dresses adorned with delicate feathers, evoking the sensation of shivers and goosebumps during climax.

Rochas, founded in the 1930s by Marcel Rochas, has long epitomized elegance, simplicity, and youth. In his second collection for the Maison, Alessandro Vigilante drew inspiration from a 1939 photograph by Carlo Molino titled “Fairytales For Adults.” The result is a vibrant blend of patterns and textures infused with a playful spirit. A pink curtain draped over the entire hall set the tone of fantasy and femininity for the show.

The Row chose to limit coverage and accessibility to their latest collection by prohibiting guests from posting photos on social media. This move emphasized the exclusivity and elevated craftsmanship of the brand, reaffirming the concept of “quiet luxury.” Despite Jun Takahashi’s focus on everyday wear for UNDERCOVER’s FW24 collection titled “Watching a Working Woman,” the garments were far from ordinary. Observing women’s attire around him, Takahashi employed the method of “adhesion” to seamlessly fuse disparate styles into balanced looks, offering a fresh interpretation of cold weather staples.

Dries Van Noten‘s show, titled “The Woman Who Dares to Cut Her Own Fringe,” struck a balance between boldness and gentleness. Pastel color blocks, vibrant oranges and blues, and deeper hues formed the basis for stylistic layering. Introducing the faux fur bag XXL, Dries elevated the mundane while playing with contrasts that were pleasing to the senses. Casablanca‘s show took place at The Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, offering a hypnotic, cultish, multi-sensory spectacle. Choreographed arm dances were inspired by secretive religious festivals of Ancient Greece, influenced by mind-expanding psychedelics from Eleusis. Titled “Venus as a Boy,” the show embodied founder and Creative Director Charaf Tajer’s imaginative reimagining, blending age-old draping with sporty aesthetics and sci-fi energy.

For Acne Studios‘ FW24 collection, Creative Director Jonny Johansson drew inspiration from the reconstruction of tires into bulging chairs by Estonian artist Villu Jaanisoo. Johansson translated this abstracted car-garage aesthetic into high-collar denim trucker jackets in rusty and metallic hues, alongside leather crafted into rigid, human-like forms. Olivier Rousteing’s FW24 collection for Balmain was dedicated to his upbringing in Bordeaux, celebrated through imaginative reinterpretations of trench coats worn by his adoptive mother. Intricately embroidered beading and grape motifs adorned garments and accessories, evoking the untamed vines, while gingham prints conjured the essence of a freshly laid picnic blanket.

Thursday, February 29th

The highly anticipated continuation of Rick Owens’ “Porterville” transported us back to the intimacy of his own home, following the initial part showcased during January’s Men’s Fashion Week. Conceptually rooted in autobiographical yet alienesque reflections, the collection took a softer, more welcoming turn in womenswear. Ib Kamara revisited Off-White’s streetwear origins with a maximalist flair, infusing the collection with sportswear cues and elements from his African heritage. Chemena Kamali’s inaugural collection for Chloé breathed new life into the House’s boho-chic essence, exuding a golden-tinged romance through fluid silhouettes, transparent fabrics, and nostalgic 70’s references harkening back to Karl Lagerfeld’s era.

During an interim period of Creative Directors, Givenchy’s in-house design team returned the FW24 collection to the house’s foundational roots, reminding us of the precision and elegance epitomized by Hubert de Givenchy himself. Rabanne’s FW24 collection delved into the everyday use of fashion, inspired by observations of how women dress in Paris. Creative Director Julien Dossena crafted a collage of garments, patterns, and textiles that seemingly juxtapose yet perfectly capture the essence of real-life clothing. Uma Wang’s collection conveyed the abstraction and loss of detail that accompanies memories, with garments reduced to outlines and slightly warped silhouettes, evoking a hauntingly familiar sensation of mental structures persevering against the passage of time. Schiaparelli showcased its prowess beyond Haute Couture, particularly in outerwear. Bold jackets with rounded shoulders in denim, black nylon, and tartan wool, alongside sharp silhouettes in crocodile-effect leather, were meticulously detailed with Schiaparelli’s signature gold buttons.

Friday, March 1st

Loewe’s FW24 collection offered a sartorial exploration of luxury’s meaning, drawing visual inspiration from Albert York, whose paintings adorned the venue walls. Jonathan Anderson reimagined decorative antiquities and wallpaper kitsch into elegant floral and vegetable prints, echoing the warmth of York’s artworks. Several garments, such as a dog portrait dress, and accessories, like a bag resembling a bundle of asparagus, were adorned with bead embroidery, mimicking the bubbly texture of caviar.

Titled “What Always Has Been,” Issey Miyake’s show unfolded at France’s Museum of Immigration History. Design Director Satashi Kondo transcended historical bounds to embody the vitality clothing lends to humanity. Iconic Miyake pleats stepped aside, replaced by layers of draped, twisted, and folded fabric imbued with a protective force. Vibrant color choices, from patterns to gradients and monochrome hues, infused the garments with a natural, self-assured energy.

Vetements‘ first show in almost two years pushed provocation and oversizing to new extremes – x16, to be exact. Guram Gvasalia crafted looks that simultaneously poked fun and wielded daggers at the loss of his brother to Balenciaga. Yohji Yamamoto’s show, commencing in silence with all-black ensembles, brought cubist sculpture to life through masterful tailoring. Layers and volumes of plaids, pinstripes, and tweeds coalesced, mirroring the way great cubist artists unite diverse perspectives for simultaneous viewing.

Saturday, March 2nd

Junya Watanabe used a similarly cubist expression to explore how clothing is a form of sculpture that we curate to present ourselves as individuals to the public eye. The first looks were relatively conventional silhouettes, made technically complex with the striking 3-dimensional prisms and rounding panels that abstracted them. Later, he challenged the design rules of coats; deconstructing them into geometric shapes that revealed floral dresses beneath them. His mastery of pattern making was on full display in the following series of coats crafted as if viewed through a kaleidoscope. Noir Kei Nunomiya saw no color, texture, or material untouched by playful spirit. Kei Nunomiya is inherently punk, and this collection was a rebellion of the dull normality we see in the streets. Andreas Kronthaler by Vivienne Westwood reflected on the couples’ earliest days together, their shared love and inspiration for historical dress, and the way it became a code for Vivienne Westwood’s designs. This collection took the codpiece, historically used to cover a man’s modesty, as a focal point. They featured it as a bag or a short-short… it’s hard to tell. Nadège Vanhee looked to the parallels between horses and motorbikes in designing the monochromatic, body-conforming looks of Hermes FW24. Heavily based in leather, the collection was slick, striking, and ready for riding. 

“Anger” served as the title of the Comme des Garçons collection, offering a poignant exploration of designer Rei Kawakubo’s darker emotions. This deeply personal and powerful narrative expressed her reaction to the world’s horrors and her feelings of powerlessness within it. Symbolism abounded in the collection, with chains and barbed wire representing the restraints humanity imposes upon itself through the creation of systems and industries that ultimately lead to downfall. Oversized bows and dresses adorned with piles of roses spoke to the experiences of women, reflecting the frustrations womankind has endured throughout history.

At Ann Demeulemeester, Creative Director Stefano Gallici honored the deeply cherished legacy of Ann while infusing his own touch into the house archives, marking the brand’s new beginning. Seán McGirr made his debut at Alexander McQueen, drawing inspiration from Lee Alexander McQueen’s iconic SS95 collection titled “The Birds.” Fascinated by the strength of individual characters that defined McQueen’s original runways, McGirr sought to recreate the subcultural impact of McQueen’s career. A standout feature of the show was the horse-hoof heel and the concept of rebellion embodied in a shattered-glass dress.

Sunday, March 3rd

Balenciaga’s personalized eBay deliveries extended invitations to guests for a show that, as articulated in voice memos by Demna, delved into the essence of fashion and its relevance in a technologically driven age. While some looks paid homage to Cristobal Balenciaga, the focus remained on Demna’s distinct creative ethos and aesthetic, which have defined the modern Balenciaga over the past decade. In contrast to the prevailing trend of pastels and earthy tones this season, Pierpaolo Piccioli immersed himself in the world of black at Valentino. His singular focus on this hue allowed him to explore the concept of individual elegance. Through play with reflections and the interplay of different materials and silhouettes with light, Piccioli showcased how black is illuminated by its surroundings.

The Swiss label Ottolinger challenged traditional power structures by deconstructing conventional office wear with a raw, rebellious visual language. Enfants Riches Déprimés commandeered an unassuming parking garage, filling it with luxury vintage cars and utilizing its floors and winding slopes to weave a narrative. Despite the thick mist and dim lighting, the intricacies of the collection were impossible to overlook. Luxurious textiles, including collaborative knitwear with Loro Piana, in vampiric hues were adorned with historically referenced details and accessories. Casey Cadwallader transported Mugler back to its glory days, specifically revisiting the location of its 20th anniversary show at the Cirque d’Hiver in 1995. One could only hope that the falling curtain and billowing clouds of dry-ice smoke could accompany the leather gowns and dramatic cocktail dresses that comprised the collection wherever they may go.

Monday, March 5th

Stella McCartney, a pioneer of sustainable practices in luxury fashion, continued her advocacy in her eponymous label this season. With a rebellious energy, she made a statement about the imperative to care for Mother Earth while paying homage to her own mother’s 1970s style. Chitose Abe, renowned for hybridizing fashion tropes, continued this trend at her label Sacai for FW24. Exploring the concept of fashion as armor, Abe emphasized volume and oversizing in each garment, with mid-thigh boots replacing pants entirely. Coperni’s Air Swipe bag, crafted from 99% air and 1% glass and weighing almost nothing, became an instant viral sensation. In the rest of their FW24 collection, Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant transcended earthly bounds with a suspiciously futuristic aesthetic, featuring dresses adorned with their own furry orbits.

Tuesday, March 6th

Virginie Viard transported us to a place dear to Gabrielle Chanel, Deauville, with Chanel’s FW24 collection. Featuring long silhouettes in pastels and vibrant colors reminiscent of the romantic sunspaces that grace the Deauville sky, the collection was accessorized with large sun hats and gold hardware Chanel classics, exuding a dreamy yet effortlessly chic energy. Miu Miu‘s FW24 collection stayed true to its DNA of it-girl personality, with plenty of tight-fitting garments like cropped jackets and low-rise skinny jeans. Miuccia Prada also introduced oversized silhouettes and extended the it-girl status to a cast of older models who effortlessly carried their glamorous looks with high spirits.

Celebrating an incredible 10 years as Women’s Creative Director of Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière invited 4000 guests, including store managers and employees, to the show of his FW24 collection. While reflecting on his best design achievements at Louis Vuitton, Ghesquière introduced space-age silhouettes and textural expressions, hinting at more innovation to come. Anthony Vaccarello surprised with a Saint Laurent Menswear show, intimate yet spectacular. Reviving power suiting from the 1980s with oversized lapels and double-breasted jackets, under the heavy spotlights, blacks were crisp, sleek, and bold, while softness was integrated into the traditional idea of masculinity with gentler, muted hues towards the show’s end.