Couture Week, a SDS Review

The end of January saw the closing of yet another Couture Week in Paris. Here at The Studio, we love Couture week for the same reasons Christian Lacroix did, “Haute Couture should be fun, foolish and almost unwearable.” So, in this week’s post we are going to put our front row catwalk hats on and review everything we saw in the world of Couture.

The week saw designers present their Spring/Summer 2024 collections to some of the most famous guests, memorable moments being Zendaya’s ‘micro bangs and Kylie Jenner being sat next to THE Kelly Rutherford (Lily van der Woodsen is best friends with Kris Jenner in my head).

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The week launched with Schiaparelli, quite literally, with their collection being dedicated to ‘Mars and Martians’. The house took on the juxtaposition of AI in a fashion house, assembling a robotic baby made from old motherboards and mirrors that was then placed on Maggie Maurer’s hip (she is Mother to be fair). Another gown gleaming with old mobile phones and compact disks, bringing the handmade craftmanship of Couture together with the mass production of technology. There is something so similar with these two naturally opposing products, having each stich carefully hand sewn, and each wire carefully connected. The early days of tech when Steve Jobs was in his garage hand wiring motherboards now suddenly does not seem so far from a dressmaker in the studio doing the same process with fabrics. Is Roseberry trying to tell us something? Is Couture still always going to be couture, or are we moving away from the traditions and embracing new ways and new life?

The collection was tied together with gowns showcasing the silhouettes that we would expect from Schiaparelli, cut outs, headpieces, and breast plates. Roseberry commented on the collection stating, “It is a series of both familiar and not – part human, part something else. And, therefore, totally Schiaparelli.”

Moving on to Jean Paul Gaultier and the collaboration with Simone Rocha, the collection that dominated social media. This collection beautifully merged the soft and the harsh, the feminine and the masculine. The sheer fabrics used with the bows and ribbons against the harsh structure and the iconic cone bras made for a breath-taking collection. There was sailor inspired stripes in ode to Jean Paul Gaultier but with the extension of fabrics to make it light. This collection was very current with the rise in the coquette trend all over social media, and the girlies love it.

Similarly, Chanel reflected current trends in their collection whilst still being so truly Chanel. Ballet core is a rising trend online and Chanel took that trend and said, we own this. Their collection was simple yet so detailed. Very classic Chanel but with modern takes through tulle fabrics and pink sparkly bras. The models looked like dancers on the catwalk walking along to the specifically created music from Kendrick Lamar, which accompanied the film to match. There is no doubt Chanel went all out with this collection, which in turn is more of a production at this point. Virginie Viard commented, “I often think about dance, it is an important theme at Chanel.” We also think it is an important theme, especially if it means we get more of these performances.

Finally, we land on Maison Margiela. Oh my goodness. This was what Couture is all about, fun, foolish, and almost unwearable. John Galliano designed a collection that would pretty much break the internet. The clothes were a reflection of the female form and all its beauty, with models being all different shapes and sizes. Designs utilised harsh hourglass figures, with almost plastic looking fabric to create the image of dolls, and idealised beauty. The makeup was harsh, the hair was gelled, and the models walked like how we used to make our dolls walk. Despite the clothes often being light in colour, the show was dark, there was an eerie sense to it. Inspiration was drawn from the nights in Paris, what goes on behind closed doors. The whole collection had a feel to it, that it was so real but also completely fabricated, looking at it I feel as if I am looking into the past as well as into the future at the same time. There was tulle, lace, coresets, over coats, all mixed together to give the sense of falling apart and keeping together all at once.

Overall, Couture Week was as magical as ever. All the designers and houses that were present truly transported us to faraway lands, whether that be in space, at the ballet, or even in a new time. We have loved following the shows online (think our invite got lost in the mail) and also judging all the celebs looks alongside. It is our favourite past time.

We hope you enjoyed the review, please comment below your thoughts on the collections and your favourite celeb moment. I loved Stormi Webster accompany her mum, Kylie Jenner, in a mini me outfit, a pair of besties if I ever saw.

Peace and Love,