Twice a year, the experts of the fashion industry make their way to Paris Couture Week to attend high fashion days and ramp walks. To start with, the schedule is a mix of industry top hitters like Chanel and Dior, along with exciting names like Balenciaga and Giorgio Armani. Haute Couture has become more and more popular over the past years, with craftsmanship being the number one assessment. It offers a sense of fashion, beauty, and fantasy. Discover the best of Haute Couture below!

Schiaparelli

Daniel Roseberry’s collection for Schiaparelli saw the creativity of the designer's past- a reflection of the new exhibition ‘Shocking! The Surreal World of Elsa Schiaparelli shows both the house namesake’s influences and those whom she inspired at her time of being famous like Christian Lacroix. There were snippets of Yves Saint Laurent (molded breastplates, Van Gogh-inspired flowers), Jean-Paul Gaultier(nipped nude corsetry), and Lacroix(vast fabrics of satin). The collection tried to bridge the gap between the present and the past. “I hope that spirit comes through in this collection, the joy we felt of creating things, of getting to make beautiful objects that people will always remember,” said Roseberry.

Chanel

This time, Virginie Viard takes inspiration from the 1920s. to give the collection a summery vibe, she transforms the classic into a garment that looks more modern and charismatic with the help of chiffon. The staple of the 20s- Ostrich, was very prominent in the line-up, a feather embellished skirt with a side slit appears under a sculptured one-shoulder top. Bottom-heavy silhouettes took a hand over the Chanel runway. 

Giorgio Armani 

Giorgio Armani named his latest collection ‘Petillant’, which is french for ‘sparkling’. More specifically, it denotes the traditional method of creating sparkling wine. He replicated his theme by adding multiple elements that shimmered in the show’s light like dangling beads, mesh crystal tops, sequin trims, etc. Another word the designer demonstrated as ‘realism’, finding inspiration in the art deco painter Tamara de Lempicka.

Valentino

Valentino’s creative director makes a statement by curating the runway that features a distinct range of bodies, ages, and genders. This was something that was inhabited by Manfred Thierry Mugler in the late 90s. Valentino’s signature stuff like chiffon, ruffles, explosive greens, and fuchsias. It was quite energizing to see men appear on couture runways, especially in the chainmail-inspired embroidered two-piece.

Dior

The designer chose her latest show to become a celebration of human connection and togetherness. These two factors are very essential for making any couture collection. Grazia Chiuri creates a flawless symphony of greys, creams, and whites which gives the feeling of a light mid-day summer. Chiuri’s signature off-shoulder dresses have undergone a renewal through beautification with pearl embellishments and styling with shimmery leggings underneath.

Viktor and Rolf

High fashion vampires walked down the Viktor and Rolf Couture runway. Rolf Snoeren wanted to incline towards the signature necklace looks. The results came out to be alluring and freakish. There were suits, colonial dresses, and coats. They took the reference of iconic horror films and offered a straightforward perception of the vampiric memorabilia like Sadie Frost’s white funereal dress from Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Balenciaga

Balenciaga’s creative director Demna unexpectedly collaborated with the applied science division of car manufacturer- Mercedes Benz. The first 38 models wore face-covering masks which were ink-tinted, aerodynamic, anti-fog, molded, and polished by hand. The show ended with a series of increasingly grand gowns and showcased a few celebrity models like Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, and Nicole Kidman to make the collection look superior.