Paris Fashion Week…just saying it, or typing it, for us fashion lovers gives us chills. One of my goals in life is to not just be in the city of love during Fashion Week, but to attend at least one show. It is an exciting time for anyone in the industry, filled with prestigious shows, glamorous after-parties, and even the chance to be snapped by a street style photographer. You get to experiment with your closet to pick out crazy outfits. You can be in the presence of some of your favorite celebrities and influencers. And, of course, you get to see all of the stunning collections. However, this year I was let down by most of the shows. If you couldn’t tell by my loving words for the week a few sentences prior, I have high expectations for the collections that debut during this famous week. I store images of the dazzling looks in my head for months afterwards, calling them to the forefront of my mind when I’m bored, need inspiration, or just when I need a pick-me up. But, unfortunately, this years Fall/Winter collections barely provided any images that I would want to remember. As most of them were pretty easy to forget.
The Rick Owens show was certainly interesting. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. The show had the same futuristic theme I saw on many other runways, not just in the clothing but also in the details of the show itself. It opened on a foggy runway, which was cool, but then the models were also carrying fog machines with them down the runway. It was a fun idea, but after about 2 minutes of multiple fog machines going up and down the runway, it became impossible to actually see the clothes. The pieces themselves were hit or miss, yet the collection itself felt very cohesive. Mostly because a lot of the pieces were exactly the same except for a color change. I don’t mid this in a collection if they have two versions of a piece here or there, but half of the show was one dress/skirt with a jacket in different color ways and patterns and the other half was strange cloaks and denim underwear over khakis. Overall, the collection featured 52 looks. An impressive number, but less impressive when you consider the similarity between a majority of them. The show started off strong with long, fitted dresses with strong shoulder details, coats with stunning particulars and sequined dresses you will definitely be seeing on celebrities during award season. But it quickly descended into creepy cloaks, oddly shaped puffer jackets and fur detailing everywhere. Even though a few looks stood out to me and I could see myself wearing some of the jackets and there were only a few looks that I absolutely detested, the overall show was just ok. I found it mostly forgettable.
Yves Saint Laurent has never been a brand that I think of immediately when I think of fashion houses. Not because I don’t like their stuff, but because I typically like other houses better. However, this show has definitely earned them a place in my top 5 houses. Firstly, the location of the runway itself was stunning. With the Eiffel tower looming in the background and a perfectly minimalistic set-up, I knew it was going to be a good show. I also loved the diversity of races and ages that the models represented, however I could do with more inclusion of different body types. Unlike the Rick Owens FW22 collection, the Saint Laurent Ready-To-Wear collection actually felt ready to wear. This collection was cohesive without being overly repetitive and it was incredibly timeless. It featured a very neutral color palette and no pieces strayed from it. The cuts and details were simple yet elegant. The textures themselves were classic, but the texture mixing adding a fun twist. Anthony Vaccarello, the designer of these pieces, managed to seamlessly mix a more feminine material like tulle with a hardened leather. The closing outfit, his take on a tux for a woman, was amazing. It was classic, yet featured strong shoulders and no under layer, making it feel strong and empowering. It was so simple, yet it was one of my favorite pieces from the collection.My first fault with this collection was the outfit structure of a long pea or trench coat over long dresses. This is just my personal preference, as I typically do not like this combination on anyone for any occasion. The coat always feels as though it was an after thought, just thrown on to keep warm. But the second you get to where you’re going, you take it off to reveal the stunning dress underneath. The coat always feels like it is just covering up the outfit, not adding to it. Unfortunately this outfit structure was repeated many times throughout this collection and the dresses/skirts underneath seemed stunning from what I could see. My second fault with this collection was the use of fur. There were a few coats that either featured fur details or were fully made of fur. I personally don’t love fur or the fur industry, so I was a little disappointed to see these pieces featured on the catwalk. While I loved this collection, I do not see myself wearing most of the pieces. This collection did feel a little like something your grandma would love and wear. I think all of our grandma’s have at least one fur coat similar to those featured in this collection in their closet. While I appreciate the classic presentation, it does not quite fit my aesthetic. Overall, I am impressed with this collection. Saint Laurent has earned a place in my heart with this presentation. I am more of a maximalist when it comes to my style, so if such a simple collection can win my affections, its impressive.
I am sad to say that I was pretty underwhelmed by the Prada collection. I have always been a Prada girl, for the accessories mostly; so to have such a lackluster collection was disappointing to me. While I do favor Prada because of their accessories, I typically like most of the pieces they show on their runways. It’s crazy to say, but I preferred the mens collection this season over the women’s. There were a few pieces and details that I loved, but other than that I didn’t care much about anything else. I could take or leave about 85% of the collection. There were many similarities between this show and the Rick Owens show, mainly the fact that most of the collection was just the repetition of three main outfits with slight changes. However, I noticed some similarities in the actual pieces between the two shows, mostly in the outwear. Prada’s jackets also featured a lot of fringe fur detailing on the sleeves and some of their jackets were similar cuts. Most of the pieces in this show felt familiar, like I had seen it before. This is largely due to the fact that there were no risks taken in the clothes. They all looked like any other brand. The saving grace was their outwear. Their leather jackets felt very Prada, when I think Prada I typically picture leather. The detailing on their leather jackets were exquisite and clean. The chain detailing featured on a few of their jackets at the beginning and end of the show were fun and added a little something to an otherwise basic outwear piece. The collection featured a few bomber jackets with fleece detailing which I could see myself wearing if I had a few thousand dollars as disposable income. Like I said, I am a sucker for a Prada accessory, and their bags did not disappoint this year. My favorite bag style featured on the runway looked like the Prada triangle and featured fun patterns. I loved the mesh skirts/dresses featured throughout, but I could have done with not seeing them on every other model. It’s all in the details, and my favorite detail was a dress featuring a feather collar that stuck up straight. While there were a few pieces that I loved, there were also a few pieces that I hated. One look was a blazer-skirt set that featured a puffy, pleated midi skirt that came in both black and grey. The blazer was fine, but I detested the skirt. It was bulky and unflattering and the cut was just awful. There were a few pieces that tried to do the oversized trend, but still called on previous seasons of Paris fashion week in which “oversized” meant drown the model in fabric. Other than that, the rest of the pieces didn’t really evoke any emotions at all.
This was my first year watching the Isabel Marant show and I was once again unimpressed. While there were some pieces I liked individually, for the most part the collection was boring or bad. The collection seemed to be heavily inspired by the 70s, which is where I take a lot of my inspiration from as well. Almost every look featured baggy, thigh high boots. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good boot as it almost always takes a look to the next level. However, Marant’s boots took away from most looks. They covered pants and overalls and felt like they were hiding the pieces underneath instead of enhancing them. Most of the pieces in this show didn’t feel high fashion, I felt like I could go to any H&M and pull something off the rack that looks exactly like what was featured on the runway. I’m not saying I hated this show, I just feel like this collection was also somewhat forgettable. A few pieces featured a pattern that I hated, but other than that I really had no problem with the fabrics. I also didn’t love the styling of some of the looks, the colors and/or textures didn’t pair well together. However, the pieces and looks that stood out to me I really did love. One look featured a beautifully cut and structured blazer with pinstripes and I am a sucker for a good blazer and pinstripes, so this piece was an instant winner for me (I could’ve done without the massive buttons though). And just because some of the looks didn’t feel high fashion doesn’t mean I didn’t like them. One look featured a fuzzy, tan dress that I could definitely see myself wearing. A lot of the menswear was casual, but they certainly caught my eye. What I did love about this show was the music. Behind the runway was a live band that played while the models walked. Most runways now have digitized music or a dj, so it has been rare to actually have a band playing while the show is taking place. While I did like some individual pieces, this was not a show that I think will go down in history as a classic.
I am slightly biased because I have always been a Versace girl, but this years collection was stunning as always. And all I can say is, I am a Versace girl because they bring it every time. There was not a single look in this collection that I didn’t like. Every look that was sent down the runway was perfect and kept me on the edge of my seat. The colors, patterns and textures were all on point. The collection felt very 90s inspired, with some of the looks resembling the iconic movie Clueless in my opinion. The platform shoes were absolutely stunning. The spandex tights were show stopping. The matching sets were amazing. The only important show from this Paris Fashion Week was Versace. The collection felt cohesive without making every outfit look almost identical. The collection featured many co-ord sets, which are set to only continue to rise in popularity in the coming years. Like I said, I am a sucker for pinstripes, and Versace included them in many of the looks. A lot of these looks felt wearable, but not basic. Many of the more formal dresses will almost certainly be featured on red carpets in the future. If someone does not put Zendaya in the green corseted dress for a carpet, I will literally throw a fit. The outwear was superior. They were unique but still felt timeless. The jackets were beautifully structured and I need all of them now. Their use of color made fall fashion feel more exciting. Everything down to the accessories was on point. Even the runway felt cool and futuristic without feeling gimmicky. I will never shut up about this collection or Versace. I wish I could put a picture of every look below so everyone could be blessed by the masterpiece that is the Versace FW22 collection.
Besides the Versace show, I was mostly left unimpressed by many other houses and designers. Many people in the industry attend these shows to find common themes among them that can help fashion brands predict upcoming trends and buy accordingly. Although Paris Fashion Week features many different fashion houses that have different styles, statuses, backgrounds, etc, you can always find similarities across many of the shows. This year, Paris Fashion Week featured a blend of the past and the future. Houses like Rick Owens and Acne Studios featured looks that seemed to be straight out of 3022. While other houses like Marant and Versace pulled inspiration from past decades such as the 70s, 90s and 2000s. For the past fews years, runway’s have started to feature oversized pieces. Usually the oversized looks horrible, completely drowning the model in the clothing. But this year it seems designers have gotten the hang of oversized. It was still a trend on the runways this year, but it was a more tailored oversized where you could still see the shape of the piece and it didn’t look overly massive on the models. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love platform shoes. And luckily, it seems as though the trend is here to stay. Many of the runways had models strutting in massive, chunky platforms. I especially loved Versace’s platform pumps that accessorized many of the looks this year. It seems as though maxi dresses and skirts are making a comeback. Many shows like Saint Laurent and Rick Owens featured long silhouettes that looked beautiful as they flowed down the runway. Another thing making a comeback seems to be fringe. Fringe jackets made appearances in many shows, one jacket even featuring fringe details where the fringe was made of fur. I thought this was an interesting take on a fun detail. Even though these were fall collections and when one thinks of fall fashion they think neutrals, orange seemed to be a very popular color during this years Paris Fashion Week. I saw at least one orange look in almost every show I watched, besides Saint Laurent which strictly stuck to the fall color palette of tans, white, browns and blacks. And finally, one of my favorite trends that I noticed on the catwalks this year was sparkles. From small sparkly detailing to fully sparkly pieces, I loved every minute of it. Adding sparkles to anything is a great way to make the piece 10x better. While I don’t have an overly positive opinion on most of Paris Fashion Weeks collections, there were certainly individual looks that caught my eye. Except for you Versace, I will always love you!