Fashion month’s final frontier, Paris, has come to a close. The French capital had the most packed schedule of them all, with added A-list power (A*, even) on the front row, thanks to heritage houses with mega-budgets jetting in their ambassadors.
This precedent was set early by Dior, who showed on Tuesday, September 26, and welcomed an all-star cast including actors Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron, Anya Taylor-Joy, Wednesday’s Jenna Orteg,a and a rarely sighted R-Patz (Robert Pattinson). ‘Motomami’ singer Rosalía and all-round icon Bianca Jagger polished off the stellar crowd.
Later that evening, it was Saint Laurent who captivated. With the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, household names began to flood in. Kate Moss, Demi Moore, and Zoë Kravitz happily led arrivals, while actors Austin Butler, Emma Mackey, and Naomi Ackie were also in attendance.
Models Hailey Bieber, Alek Wek, and Soo Joo Park swapped the runway for a seat on Tuesday evening, while London guests included Rocco Ritchie, son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie, who arrived arm-in-arm with his half-sister, Lourdes Leon. Also in attendance were fellow Nepo baby Iris Law and model Sabrina Elba.
On Wednesday, Marni seated guests — including Erykah Badu, Usher, and Damson Idris — part inside, part al fresco in the Parisian sunshine. But the evening was reserved for Balmain. After 50 garments were stolen from the line, Olivier Rousteing pulled it out of the bag and drew an impressive crowd.
The F-row was led by Kim Cattrall, who was elegant as ever in a croc-effect leather blazer and pencil skirt, alongside US actor Lucy Hale, and British actor and model Jodie Turner-Smith.
Thursday morning started with a flurry of flashbulbs thanks to Kylie Jenner, who was every inch a lady in red as she arrived at Acne Studios’ morning show. The reality star and beauty mogul was revealed as the new face of the brand in a mud-covered shoot for its August campaign.
The Jenners held the spotlight that evening at Schiaparelli as well; Kylie glistened in a diamanté-encrusted gown on the front row, while her sister, Kendall, strutted the runway in a lobster-red dress to close the show — a nod to the brand’s famous motif.
Luxury jewellery label Messika signalled Thursday’s dazzling finale — a diamond-splashed catwalk which was watched by the Pop Goddess herself, Cher. Other pop icons spotted that evening were Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, singer Joy Crookes, and Destiny Child’s Kelly Rowland.
The runway was an equally star-studded spectacle, as rising supermodels Taylor Hill, Alton Mason, and Adut Akech joined singer and French national treasure Carla Bruni in showcasing Messika’s 140 new pearl and diamond creations.
For Loewe showgoers, Friday morning started with a drive to its 14th-century venue, Château of Vincennes. It was attended by the freshest faces of the Spanish house; actors-of-the-moment Greta Lee and Taylor Russell, alongside singer Troye Sivan, model Emily Ratajkowski, and Kris Jenner.
The Kardashian moments kept coming later that afternoon, when Kim slinked into a waiting crowd at Victoria Beckham’s spring/summer 24 collection; Kendall Jenner walked the show, as the Beckham brigade (consisting of husband David, children Harper, Cruz and Brooklyn, and the latter’s wife, Nicola Peltz-Beckham) clapped on the front row.
Pamela Anderson was the star at Vivienne Westwood on Saturday, wearing a witchy hat, black leather boots, and bundled in an oversized, checked, tweed trench coat. Her worthy seatmates included model and actor Christina Hendricks and activist Munroe Bergdorf.
Saturday’s evening slot was reserved for Alexander McQueen, which promised an all-star turn-out to see off Sarah Burton, the house’s creative director for more than a decade, who will now step down. And an emotional moment it was; as Burton took her bow, she was embraced by fashion’s great and good on the catwalk. Cate Blanchett, Elle Fanning, Anna Wintour, and Edward Enninful all received a coveted hug, as did fashion critics Sarah Mower, Tim Blanks, and Cathy Horyn.
Kim Kardashian continued her Paris streak at Balenciaga, the 11.30am show on Sunday, where she was joined by friends Paris and Nicky Hilton. Naomi Campbell, Offset, and French actor Isabelle Huppert attended, too — as did Usher, who baying fans would be forgiven for not noticing thanks to his slashed-front balaclava hood.
Later on Sunday, those continuing to brave the unexpected heatwave included Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, who donned their dusty pink to watch the Valentino show. FKA Twigs performed, which Pugh remarked was “truly f***ing magnificent”, to her seatmates — the likes of Cher, Simone Ashley, Leslie Mann and her daughter, Maude Apatow.
Then came the final stretch. Stella McCartney began Monday’s shows with an outdoors sustainable market — complete with apperances from Cate Blanchett, Cole Sprouse, Ashley Park, and Robert Downey Jr — and Chanel started Tuesday with tweed-jacketed spots of Usher, Emilia Clarke, and Penélope Cruz.
Miu Miu then tied up fashion month with its army of It-girls. Sydney Sweeney, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Mia Goth, and Emma Chamberlain arrived in force, before models and editors divided and dashed to the Charles de Gaulle Airport or the Gare Du Nord.
