Fashion

Rarefied Clothes for Rarefied People

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A Styles photographer captures the fashion inside and out at the couture shows.

PARIS — Couture shows are a chance to appreciate the art of fashion in its purest form. Last week, on both the runway and the street, the outfits furthest outside the box were some of the most exciting to see.

At the Schiaparelli show, there was the sculpted lion’s head (and attached dress) worn by Kylie Jenner, followed by a small parade of lifelike faux taxidermy sent down the runway. At Viktor & Rolf, there were ball gowns worn upside down and sideways. At Iris van Herpen, there were dresses that looked like butterflies in metamorphosis. On the street, there were double-breasted suits with epic proportions, poufy skirts that pooled on the sidewalk and other dramatic looks — the best of which channeled the fantasy of the garments being presented at shows.

When people are waiting for drivers to pick them up, you have more time to notice little details. For instance: her gold chain, left, may look like a necklace, but it’s actually part of her hat.
A strong command of layering — and orange, which can be a particularly hard color to pull off.
The double-breasted jacket? Powerful. The wide-leg pants? Cool. The earrings and choker? Regal. The furry bag? Unexpected!
Have flowing skirt, will twirl for camera — that’s how the saying goes, right?
When the rapper Doja Cat walked into the Schiaparelli show bedazzled and in red from head to toe, there was one word to describe the moment: fire.
A grand collar. An hourglass figure. A lace-up back. With this quilted Schiaparelli design, you can have it all.
Even when obscured by the lion’s mane, Kylie Jenner knew how to work the camera.
Looking at this Schiaparelli dress next to other clothes, you can start to understand why couture is as rarified as it is.
These earrings, seen at Schiaparelli, were roughly the size of a small dagger.
Let the model Adut Akech be a reminder that comfortable and chic are not mutually exclusive.
Two more examples of expert layering. He got points for the green varsity jacket peeking out from under his trench coat, and she for the jeans peeking out from beneath her denim skirt.
Another sensational red look, this time accessorized with natural skin and earrings that would be impossible to miss (even, perhaps, from outer space).
There may be more famous bobs at the couture shows, but this one looked particularly good because of the way it almost melted into her coat.
The front row at the Chanel show may be the most coveted, but the nosebleed seats are nothing to sneeze at. You get to see all of the fabrics and colors and silhouettes — as well as the crowd’s reaction as garments hit the runway.
Getting nearer to the models, of course, offered an even better look at the craftsmanship of the clothes at Chanel.
Iris van Herpen’s couture is extraordinary to behold up close. Imagine seeing that dress on a red carpet!
Three people had to help the model into Viktor & Rolf’s upside-down ball gown before it floated (sort of) down the runway.
For traditionalists, Viktor & Rolf showed right-side-up gowns that looked just as dreamy.
Backstage at the Fendi show, Rita Ora used her free hand to show off the peekaboo cutout at the hip of her outfit.
The intricate floral detailing on this gown, left, shown at Fendi was a motif of the label’s collection.
Here’s a tongue twister: What did Gaultier say to Chalamet?
Backstage at the Jean-Paul Gaultier show, many hands made light work of styling this headpiece.
Guests outside the Chanel show, or actresses auditioning for a new movie about the daughters of Cher Horowitz and Elle Woods at couture week? (It was the former: specifically, Blanca Miró Scrimieri, left, and Maria de la Orden.)
When outerwear has as much going for it as his overcoat, keeping what’s underneath simple is never a bad choice.
At first glance you may not notice that the pearl jewelry, right, is a graphic on her top — or that beneath the blue-gray gown, left, there is a matching leotard.
Black oversized shades make anything look edgier, even the stylist Anya Ziourova’s layers of soft shearling and ribbing.
Of all the tailoring seen at couture, my favorite pieces were this pinstripe overcoat and matching suit. Will the look usher in an era of fingerless gloves and split-toe shoes on Savile Row? Here’s to hoping.
The mullet tied her whole outfit together.
For a gown that showed this much skin, it seemed indulgent for Valentino to use all the fabric. But if couture is not indulgent, is it even couture?

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