JOANNE Watkinson
Paris Fashion Week is always “a moment”.
Mais oui, it’s Paris, the city with illuminated bridges and a sparkling tower could never fade into the background. The final fashion week of the season, you could say they save the best ’til last.
This season there were a few firsts, including Victoria Beckham’s inaugural Paris show, and the first Issey Miyake show since the designer’s death.
Having won over sceptics in New York and London, Victoria’s move to Paris was a bold one.
She has brought in a new design team and implemented a lower price point and the collection was polished and refined enough to gain positive reviews, but still sexy enough to appeal to her existing customer base.
Watching the designers at Coperni’s show spraypaint latex onto model Bella Hadid’s naked form and then sculpt it into a gown was quite the spectacle.
Not since (Lee) Alexander Mcqueen’s legendary presentations have we seen such wizardry on the catwalk.
I think we can safely say this technique won’t be available to customers.
Then why do it, you ask? PR baby! It’s been estimated that the stunt was worth more than £20m in media interest value. It worked. I hadn’t heard of Coperni before, had you?
The collections might have been showcasing spring/summer 2023 but tailoring was a big trend for labels like The Row and Stella Mccartney, who showed her most sustainable collection ever using 87% conscious materials.
Balmain confirmed the corset is well and truly back and snagged plenty of social media coverage with a cameo appearance from Cher. She’s 76. I’ll have what she’s having.
Mud doesn’t usually factor at Paris Fashion Week. Cue the Balenciaga show.
Creative director Demna Gvasalia turned the runway into a “mud grave”, a dark pit of earthy sludge. It splashed up onto the clothes as models – led by Kanye West – trudged through.
The show notes described the set as “a metaphor for digging the truth”.
So, this winter when the rain is lashing down and you get splashed by a muddy puddle, remember you’re the height of fashion.