From The Fantastical To Subversive, Haute Couture Week Was Full Of Surprises

Paris has been buzzing. From men’s fashion week to haute couture, then later this month the 2024 Olympics, the City of Light has been host to a caravan of editors, influencers, and celebrities, all while it prepares for the opening ceremony and series of games to come. All that said, the logistical feats, including traffic jams and bridge closures, didn’t deter the couturiers from architecting elaborate shows and expanding the very notion of what couture may look like this modern day.

The week started off with Daniel Roseberry enchanting the audience with his breathtaking, fantastical creations for Schiaparelli. Aptly titled ‘Phoenix,’ the first look to the collection was a cape embroidered with 3D chrome trompe l’oeil feathers mimicking the mythological bird. Then, there was Maria Grazia Chiuri’s vision for Dior set against a series of artwork — many of which depict athletes, which she also nodded to with the design of sporty necklines and silhouettes — by the late multi-media artist Faith Ringgold. Chanel held its first show sans creative lead after the sudden departure of Virginie Viard, while Thom Browne presented his second couture collection centered on the humble fabric, muslin. And, for the fall 2024 season, Nicolas di Felice, artistic director at Courreges, was the guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier.

See below for a roundup of the best couture looks from the maisons.

Schiaparelli

“People don’t buy Schiaparelli, they collect it,” and it’s obvious to see why. Each creation by Creative Director Daniel Roseberry is an exquisite and eccentric art work, transcending the limitations of wearability and commercialization.

Dior

Athletic designs with luxurious fabrics evoke an image of what early Olympians would have worn, if women competed and wore couture. Chiuri continues her longstanding support of female artists, and the second collaboration with Ringgold, titled “défilé,” aims to “bring together couture and culture, at the convergence of art and savoir-faire.”

Thom Browne

It all started with muslin. The fabric of choice for couturiers to create, experiment, and adjust, Browne exalts this modest material through intricate and unique creations in his fall 2024 couture collection.

Chanel

In tribute to Palais Garnier, this collection marries the world of opera and couture. While staying true to the traditions and codes of the house, the Fashion Creation Studio (the name of the team that designed this collection) also pushes boundaries with the use of unusual choice of fabrics and interpretations of formalwear.

Armani Prive

There is no sign of slowing down for Mr. Armani. The 89-look show included stunning displays of hand-crafted embroidery and embellishments.

Balenciaga

Demna is Demna above else, and his latest creations for Balenciaga questioned what couture may, or should, look like today. Echoes of Cristobal Balenciaga were noticeable — the cocoon back, the exploration of volume, and the silhouettes of evening wear — but what made an impression were the utilitarian choices of material like denim and nylon.

Jean Paul Gaultier by Nicolas di Felice

Undergarments, lace, draping — classic details of a JPG garment, Felice reimagines couture with a seamless blend of his aesthetics and technical prowess with those of fashion’s L’ enfant terrible.