Couture is over...and no frostbite due to street-style raised the temperature and provided lessons in the history of Haute Couture. Paris Haute Couture had a guest index welcoming significant trendsetters from every city, ultimately coming together to walk Le Marais and grab a croissant with an espresso shot on the way to their favourite designer shows. Cliché but no wonder that a city has uplifted so many fashion icons, artists, poets and writers so often described in the literature. As a result, there were so many timeless junctures where fashion harmonized seamlessly with contemporary manners to break the binary. The existing mythology is primarily based on equity and inclusion guided by figures in the queer independence and feminist crusades that have extended the compassion that gender is a spectrum rather than an inflexible binary. Fluidity is one of the defining aspects of the current era, with a thriving number of people identifying as non-binary, trans, and gender non-conforming. These individuals were widely recognized and revered by civilizations across the globe for millennia, and modern society is just catching up. Here, we delve into the present after-effects and innovations that are navigating the future of fashion. Further solidifying it as a new seasonal standard with striking impacts across runways, retail, design, accessibility and sustainability.
(Doja Cat at Viktor & Rolf's Paris Fashion Week Show)Feathers & fuss
Showgoers wore sparkles, feathers, ruffles with acid-pink and sweatshirts on skirts under their coats since the temperature dropped on the third day of Paris Haute fashion week. Deviant accessories were the biggest standouts, along with Doja Cat turning heads with a flux moustache, eyebrows made of false lashes, dressed head to toe in thousands of Swarovski crystals in collab with Pat Mcgrath. Kylie Jenner attempted to play “Beauty and the Beast '' being the muse for Daniel Roseberry’s Schiaparelli collection which has been highly criticised for its faux art creation, constructed by using manmade materials to give Leo Energy. Noah Cyrus took off little to the imagination while stepping out in an incredibly dipping Stephane Rolland Haute Couture design, Free the nipz in a Risquè Chest baring gown. There was a period when nipples were basically ubiquitous on the runways. Designers like John Galliano, and Alexander Mcqueen folded and discomforted their garments to artfully expose: not to sexualize, but to create a beautiful, sculptural effect. The notion has walked down to streets from there. Street style embraced “free your nipples culture” by mainstream fashion influencers. It was all about gorgeous, uncomplicated silhouettes that made it obvious that any slips are wholly intentional. We spotted ganjis, slips, silk tops, crochets, and crystal string bras underneath the jackets. Experiment with floating see-through layers of gauzy fabrics or a mesh halter neck. Fashionistas opted for luxurious gowns with a sheer front panel. Caps on the formal gowns and denim jumpsuits. Oversized suits and see-through pieces created by artisans and seamstresses in ateliers across the City of Lights are truly something to behold. funky hair colours to baggy thigh-high boots. Hair accessories with pearls, crystals and button pins were getting celebrated to stay. Oversized balloon sleeves with trails and crystal-dangling skirts. The streets of Paris served some jaw-dropping creativity by attendees at an absolute A-game.
(A model presents a creation by designer Virginie Viard as part of her Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 collection show for fashion house Chanel in Paris, France, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes)
The season is anything from sober and elegant to faux taxidermy and breaking the binary. The street style was a mix of different ethnicities focusing on celebrating diversity. Between the shows of Haute Couture, heritage and grand inspirations the streets of Paris were buzzing with bold patterns, wild and flashy silhouettes, statement sunglasses and neon galore. More guests showed their skin out in the Parisian streets and we’re here for the plethora of ingenuity to catch all the fall looks in the City of Light. The cherry on the top was the intimate presentations, parties and virtual events with bustling street-style backgrounds.
