Paris haute couture offers escapism during election fever

With mere days to go before the first round of voting in France’s snap elections, a sense of trepidation can be felt ahead of the results. There’s also the Olympics, for which preparations are accelerating, and the ongoing European Football Championship, in which the national team has made it through to the knockout rounds.

No surprise then that sport is on fashion designers’ minds. If there’s one thing that the two industries have in common, it would be providing a sense of escapism and hope. Call it cognitive dissonance, but at a time of great uncertainty, both can offer a welcome distraction to what lies ahead, by enthralling and telling stories of incredible human skill.

And when it comes to the craft of clothing, nowhere is it more discernible than during haute couture week in Paris, where ultra-luxury clients — the primary ones spending during the sector’s downturn — gather to see the latest savoir-faire that some of the world’s most prestigious houses have to offer. For those reasons, couture has never been more vital, says Pascal Morand, executive president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. “It [creates] an atmosphere where creativity can flourish and embodies a positive dynamic for Paris.”

The autumn/winter 2024 schedule was light on newcomers and lacked notable regulars such as Fendi and Valentino, which are undergoing a reshuffle in the executive and creative suites, respectively. But there was plenty to appreciate, starting with Schiaparelli, which kick-started the season on Monday.

Gold brass, rhinestones, silver metal and sequin decorations twinkled as models slowly zigzagged across the dark chandelier-lit room, making eye contact with guests including Kylie Jenner and Gossip Girl actor Kelly Rutherford. “It was about getting as close to the audience as possible,” explained Texas-born designer Daniel Roseberry after the show.

Roseberry, who has proved to have a gift for reinvention, much like the house’s founder Elsa Schiaparelli, took inspiration from a feathered look that she wore in the 1940s — a homage to the late ballerina Anna Pavlova and her signature “Dying Swan” performance. The Phoenix, as the collection was called, opened with a black-velvet cape with chrome embroidery that made the model appear enveloped in metallic wings.

There were other animalistic ensembles, too, such as a zebra-printed cape and sheer bodices with little spiky horns. But unlike seasons past, which have included a robot baby and a lion-head dress, this collection veered from gimmicky. “I didn’t want anyone to talk about anything other than mastery of the clothes. That really was the benchmark for this season. No tricks,” said Roseberry. “The pay-off of social media frankly, at this moment, is so small now, so I wanted to do something that felt more timeless.”

Thom Browne’s second couture collection was a masterclass in construction and layering. The Pennsylvania-born showman often stages elaborate runways in New York, offering clothes that boast couture techniques, so when he presented his first couture show in Paris in July 2023, it felt merited.

With the exception of the closing bronze, silver and gold foil jackets, his second couture collection was mostly greige, made of different weights of natural muslin, a material often used by designers to produce toiles or garment samples. It forced viewers to focus on the finer details of the clothes, which were packed with Olympic references, including embroidered figures of archers, wrestlers and other athletes. There were even spiked track shoes, inspired by the idea of runners at the starting line.

What are the odds that the two winners of Paris couture week — Daniel Roseberry and Thom Browne — are both American? The US also holds the most Olympic medals to date. Make of that what you will.

Sport was also on the mind of Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri, whose penchant for artist collaborations and Grecian goddess styles we can now predict. But rather than a literal interpretation of athleisure, Chiuri took inspiration from the mobility and comfort it offers. “Clothes help people to perform and that means you feel well in what you wear,” she shared ahead of the show. I imagine it’s something that entertainers such as Jennifer Lopez and Blackpink’s Jisoo, who were in attendance, would know well.

With dewy skin and slicked back hair, the way one might look after some exercise, models wore flowing moiré silk dresses, trousers with a cascading wrap-over skirt and satin-trimmed tank tops as they walked alongside colourful sports-themed mosaics based on the works of the late American painter Faith Ringgold. There were also glam sparkling singlets that looked like bathing suits — but they were not made for swimming and would be better suited for lounging in, or worn tucked into trousers.

Chanel, which is without a creative director, offered a reliable collection that was imbued with the house codes: embellished tweed suits, cinched-waist dresses and lightweight ankle-grazing coats in black, gold, silver, ivory, fuchsia and pale pink. Models had their hair tied up, fastened by a big black bow. The Palais Garnier venue served as a splendid backdrop, although it was a pity that members of the atelier, who designed the collection, did not take a bow. They would have been deserving of the applause.

Giambattista Valli stayed close to tried and true staples: graceful gowns, with plenty of chiffon and tulle. Giorgio Armani, who is on the cusp of a big birthday (he turns 90 in July) also stuck to his signatures and sent jovial-looking models gliding out in pearl-themed evening ensembles that felt calming but powerful: shimmering gowns extended down the body, and impeccable jackets sat atop trousers or skirts that gleamed and flowed like liquid. There was nothing complicated about it — one tends to find that the best designs simply aren’t.

The most intriguing show of the week came from Balenciaga, which each season gives one plenty to think about. Perhaps creative director Demna (who only goes by his first name) sought to create a relaxed atmosphere with the meditation soundtrack that played throughout. Backstage, he said that this kind of guided audio is part of his daily routine.

Founder Cristóbal Balenciaga was a master of structure and dreamt up designs that did not conform to the body. Demna sought to do the same by leaning into archival shapes, such as three-quarter, bell-shaped sleeves and cocoon silhouettes, while continuing to mine the worlds of streetwear, goth, skater and metal heads, which have inspired him during the past decade. “I wanted to come up with new things that could enrich the couture technique vocabulary.”

As for the clothes, with the exception of a few skirts and gowns, they were mostly big, baggy, utilitarian. Jersey and denim jackets and track pants looked like they had been thrown on and wrapped around the body, or flipped upside down. Plastic bags and aluminium foil were processed and upcycled into one-of-a-kind dresses that crunched as the models walked, while eccentric hats were made from frozen-in-resin T-shirts. I mulled over whether it made sense to elevate the ubiquitous and everyday into what is exclusive and elite.

Guests including Katy Perry and Charli XCX marvelled at the finale: 47 metres of black nylon draped and sculpted on the model by the atelier less than an hour before the show. It took even less time to disassemble. The creation, resembling a life-size loofah sponge, could only be worn once, making fashion akin to having food at a fancy restaurant. “Nobody needs couture to be honest; to me it’s an experience of wearing clothes. And I wanted to take that further,” said Demna.

A fresh approach to couture is always welcome, but for something to unravel and dissipate after it had been worn once showed how much fashion, even of the highest kind, has become a byproduct of the Instagram-era. And there was something a little bit depressing about that.

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