In real life, people wear bright colors and light clothing in spring. The one from 2024 is dressed dark and wears a jacket with very short pants. This happened last week during modeling appearances on the Milan catwalk, and it is also happening in the first days of Paris Fashion Week. Climate change, economic uncertainty, garments with a versatile and simple appearance that appeal to an investment rather than a whim (although in reality very few garments can be called an investment)… And then they say that fashion is alien to the present :a The catwalk may not be realistic in the strict sense, but what they show these days is that it can be very metaphorical.
A video artwork created by Elena Bellantoni brought a touch of color to the Dior show this Tuesday. Titled “Not Her,” it projected onto the tent in the Tuileries Garden in the French capital the classic images of 1950s American housewives along with messages such as “I am not a wife, mother or daughter.” I am a woman”. The The house’s creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, always uses a feminist artist to support her necessary discourse: fashion can and should be feminist. But this is the first time he has used such an explicit work; also the first in which the reference is so stereotypical.
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On this occasion, the Italian is inspired by witches, their sense of sisterhood and the transmission of their knowledge across generations, a classic of feminist literature for obvious reasons, but which Chiuri translates into masculine cut black jackets over white shirts with handmade lace like a spider’s web and tiny embroidered tears. Also in a strange reinterpretation of the new look (spacious, comfortable and wearable, designed to be worn and lived in) with tie-dye skirts, which, as in the previous collection, shows that she has a special talent when it comes to approaching dark aesthetics . In her seven years at Dior, fashion fans have criticized her for being too commercial in a prestigious house, but few have noticed her work in transforming this primarily women-owned company into one owned and told by women transformed. Obviously a large portion of its clientele doesn’t buy Dior because of its history, but now that the rest of the brands have given in to the commercial and utilitarian, perhaps there will be a better understanding of why the company does what it does.
Three of the collection proposals for next spring that Dior presented at Paris Fashion Week on September 26, 2023. Stephanie Lecocq (Portal) / CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON (efe / epa)
Feminism, in its own way, was also the basis of Saint Laurent’s collection. In an imposing setting on the Champ de Mars and with a large group of celebrities, Anthony Vaccarello presented on Tuesday a collection inspired by aviators Amelia Earhart and Adrienne Bolland, a perfect excuse to combine aviator hats with Sahara hats, one of the There only a few items of clothing in Yves’ archive that the designer had not yet examined in depth and that spanned the entire collection and were transformed into a jumpsuit, a dress or a pair of trousers, in khaki, burgundy or black. As a result, for the first time in several years, Saint Laurent’s proposal was suitable for all types of bodies and, however, did not lose the image of the rebellious bourgeoisie (i.e. the Yves Saint Laurent of the seventies) with which the Italian designer managed to gain sales of the house. An image so powerful that it is never necessary to put bags on the catwalk for customers to buy them, a discourse so coherent that it has led the brand’s CEO, Francesca Bellettini, was promoted to fashion director for the entire Kering group. At a time when nostalgia sells more than ever, Saint Laurent’s use of nostalgia should appear in marketing manuals.
Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, on September 26, 2023 during Paris Fashion Week. Stephane Cardinale (Corbis/Getty Images)
The Row, the Olsen sisters’ brand, also sells pictures. The image seems to be on everyone’s lips now. Very expensive basics with very exclusive qualities for customers whose discretion is directly proportional to their checking account. The quiet luxury at The Row is reflected in the small group of guests dressed strictly in black, in the catering of radishes and fresh figs, and of course in the cast of famous multi-generational models in oversized cashmere coats and understated drapes and high fitted, pleated trousers that almost look like they were borrowed. Now, when all brands want to remain silent or remain silent, The Row crosses the line between feigned discretion and irony, with sandals reminiscent of hotel slippers and plastic raincoats. The shabbier and more carefree, the more luxurious.
However, Wednesday afternoon was a necessary celebration of color and conceptual games. Francesco Risso brought Marni’s traveling exhibition to Paris, more specifically to the former home of the late Karl Lagerfeld: “When I was 15 years old and visiting my friend Serena, we walked around here hoping to see him,” he said in the Sending a handwritten letter that served as an invitation. Risso, who has received mixed reviews since joining the Milanese brand seven years ago for the punk drift he has brought to a brand revered for its conceptual plays with geometry and color, has an interesting one for next spring Collection presented in which the architectural patterns of her predecessor, Consuelo de Castiglione, were exaggerated to create trapezoid-shaped coats and dresses. Her classic check patterns, now on minimalist dresses, were also combined with colorful sock boots. For the first time, the designer has mixed his imprint (unisex, punk, irony) with the past of a brand that is still very present in the collective imagination and has passed with flying colors, adding an emotional and even childish component . very rare in this season’s collections.
Left to right: Erykah Badu, Usher and Aya Nakamura at the Marni show on September 27th wearing some of Francesco Risso’s new offering.Pascal Le Segretain (Getty Images)
The subtle play between past and present, between functionality and aesthetics, beyond trends, was also the starting point of this oasis called Dries van Noten. Always different, but always recognizable, the Belgian has presented a collection as exciting as it is calm, in which he has played with glitter, sportswear, the classic tailored suit or microshorts, the ubiquitous garment this season. All the classics (denim, poplin and knit, checks, stripes and Prince of Wales) merged in that alchemy that only he can produce, a game of opposites that is realistic and practical in his hand. Because you don’t need fireworks to inspire, just as you don’t need to invoke the idea of quiet luxury to imagine living in and with certain items of clothing.
Dries Van Noten show on September 27th at Paris Fashion Week. JOHANNA GERON (Portal)
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