(Paris) Ancient goddesses by Dior, surreal outfits by Schiaparelli or aquatics by Iris Van Herpen opened Parisian haute couture week on Monday, in a context of tension and riots that led Celine to cancel a show on Sunday evening.
The Dior woman is extremely minimalist inspired by antique statues and lightened to provide more comfort.
A long white woolen dress with a matching cape opens the parade at the Rodin Museum in a decor designed by the Italian artist Marta Roberti, who combines in her drawings animals, goddesses, self-portraits and fragments of wild landscapes.
The silhouette is vertical, the line clean and the colors refined: white, black, beige, gold and silver.
“It was subtraction work. I wanted to remove the sheath, the lining, these elements that characterize constructed couture outfits, “said Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of women’s collections at Dior, to AFP.
In addition to the must-have dresses, the collection offers several separate pieces, allowing you to mix and match them and build “a whole personalized wardrobe”, she points out.
These include shorts that can be seen under transparent golden capes embroidered with pearls or white blouses.
“There is no blueprint in haute couture,” the designer assures, adding that a white blouse is not “considered a key piece” in this field.
An approach that brings a pragmatic dimension to haute couture, associated with the red carpet or museum pieces.
Stunning drapes and volumes, outfits in black and white, gold and silver: Daniel Roseberry, Schiaparelli’s American stylist, has also reinterpreted “everyday women’s wardrobe” in a surreal way in front of rapper Cardi B, Anna Wintour or actresses Gwendoline Christie and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, at the Petit Palais.
White blouse, pants, black turtleneck or down jackets: difficult to guess in these pieces that can “spontaneously” combine those reserved for the office or for everyday life. That’s how we dare this season, after this winter’s parade which sparked controversy with its dresses adorned with fake animal heads.
For her part, designer Iris Van Herpen presented her collection with aquatic and futuristic inspirations outdoors, in front of singer Camila Cabello (Havana) and actress Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones).
At the Dutch, the silhouettes float like aquatic beings, all in transparency, like this pleated dress, in a deep and iridescent blue reminiscent of the fins of a fish. The hair is pulled back into a tight bun, adorned with silver caps, similar to sharp tiaras.
The models are half-women, half-mermaids, perched on wedge heels.
The parade ends with a long black dress, decorated with white patterns similar to peacock feathers.
More than ever a red carpet star, the designer dressed Beyoncé for part of her Renaissance tour. An exhibition will be dedicated to him from the end of November in Paris.
The first day of this week, which highlights bespoke and craftsmanship, is also marked by the arrival of two newcomers: American Thom Browne and Frenchman Charles de Vilmorin.
At 26, Charles de Vilmorin presented his first couture show for his own brand after briefly serving as artistic director for Rochas.
Her previous couture collections, one in pop colors and psychedelic prints and the other entirely black, had been unveiled in videos during the health crisis.
“I’m super happy to have lived through all this and to do my first show,” he told AFP, in his studio apartment last week finalizing the collection.
