Paris Fashion Week

The fabulous showing of outfits and class known as Paris Fashion Week has come to a close, but it the gorgeous and jaw-dropping garments are hard to forget. Starting on September 26th, designers featured their Spring 2023 collections in Paris, France. Designers of all kinds were featured from Valentino to Balenciaga and Loewe. All three of these collections showcased unique styling choices. From draping to out-of-the-box texture and dramatic layering, the looks we saw in Paris refused to go unnoticed. Most collections featured long and flowy fabrics. Many collections featured a common beachwear and tropical thread throughout, a play on inflation, consistent neutral schemes, and dramatically small and large silhouettes. Designers like Louis Vuitton and Burberry showed similar interest in beachwear this season for the spring seasons. Thom Browne stayed true to their native red, white, and blue color scheme, while throwing in dramatic polka dot prints and various pastels. Miu Miu was another brand that truly stuck to its expertise, in the form of low rise bottoms with multi-layered tops. Balmain and Hermes were two brands that stayed true to a beige color palette. Off-White, went with a bold blue to focus their spring collection on. There was a lot to see, and a lot to take in. The innovation was visible, and the styling was unique. Here are some of the highlights from three shows that caught the viewers' attention.
Loewe
Pronounced Loh-wev-ay, the fashion house presented their Spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection. Designer, Jonathan Anderson, tends to design in a way that takes an everyday object and magnifies it. In this case, the centerpiece of the collection was a flower by the name of Anthurium. The models of the show arose from the ground, next to a giant Anthurium flower that was set in the middle of the runway. Anderson has stated that the flower is “a product of nature that looks like an object of design and [was] treated as such”. The show was opened by actress Taylor Russel, wearing a strapless, structured, mini-dress. The collection then features several other thigh-length dresses, with different structural twists. It also featured glossy, balloon-like heels and heels covered in un-inflated balloons. The color scheme was light and spring-like, featuring vibrant reds, blues, yellows, and pinks, all of which were paired with an array of neutral schemes. Most outfits featured dramatized proportions, some of which in the form of an anthurium top. The collection showed a strong sense of cohesiveness, while staying true to the brand’s design style. Gentle reminder, it is pronounced Loh-wev-ay!

Valentino
Making a dramatic shift in color palette, Valentino’s Spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection features an extremely beige color scheme. Pierpaolo Piccioli released an all fuchsia collection last March. The brand has since then been synonymous with the color. So this newly found color scheme came as a surprise to viewers. The collection opened in a head-to-toe look that featured an all over print of Valentino’s logo. The model’s face was even covered in logos, hand printed by makeup artist Pat McGrath. The collection was mostly composed of long, drapey, layers and extremely short dresses. Along with large amounts of beige and black, there were pops of yellow, red, green, and purple. There was a large variety of sequin garments in the form of skirts and long dresses. Many garments featured pleats and plumes, one of which was in the form of a feathered pant. Overall, the collection was a refreshing new twist for Valentino, but still true to the brand’s signature style.

Balenciaga
The term “edgy” is not something that creative director, Demna, takes lightly. Balenciaga is acclaimed for a dark yet futuristic style that is very prevalent in this collection. The show takes place on a runway covered in mud. Models walked through the mud at high speeds, reinforcing the collection’s darker message. Outfits featured sweat-sets, baggy pants, and lots of leather. There were a great deal of puffer jackets styled with baggy denim. Aside from the more casual feeling outfits, there were a lot of floor length gowns coming down the runway. What made this so appealing, was to see the gowns being dragged through the mud. Outfits were styled with long, spirally, scarves as well as alien-like makeup and face-piercings. Different kinds of bags were presented in the forms of large, square-shaped, shoulder bags and little, teddy-bear, handbags. The final piece de resistance was a gown constructed entirely out of old Balenciaga bags. Colors stayed, in the neutral color palette with occasional pops of yellow, red, and pink. Demna stayed consistent in his styling, while introducing daring details that sucked the viewer in.