By: Danielle Zibiri
Throughout February and March, various designers presented the Fall/Winter collection in the iconic Paris Fashion Week. We saw all our favorites from Valentino, Miu Miu, Schiaparelli, and so many more. I've dreamed of attending Paris Fashion Week for as long as I can remember, and writing about it and having a platform to discuss fashion so beautifully, inspires me truly and I hope it does the same for you too! From the plethora of styles each collection had to offer, we selected (grudgingly) MUUZ's top 3 picks.
1. YSL
Certain collections stand out not just for their aesthetic appeal but for their ability to transport us into another realm entirely. Vacarello did exactly that in the fall-winter collection by YSL. Anthony Vaccarello presented a collection he called “fragile”, with intent of course. It was beautiful in presentation but a nightmare in the atelier which I can only imagine.
From the moment this collection was presented, there was a great sense of intrigue and not just because of the overwhelming presence of boobs everywhere, but the attention it demanded. It gave me “Dune” meets “James Bond '' mostly because of the palette of earth tones and ferocity it brought to the stage.
This collection painted a picture of a specific kind of woman complete with confidence(not just cause each look was beyond sheer or better transparent), boldness and assertiveness while being sexy and feminine. It blended elements of femininity and masculinity with low-cut dresses, fancy collars, and pencil skirts associated with boxed oversized coats.
Vacarello did an incredible job at enhancing his collection with fur accessories draped over the arm, thin belts, stacked lucite bangles, abstract-shaped earrings, and sunglasses. The silhouette is shown mainly through the skin-tight stocking dresses manipulated through forms of ruching, draping, and turbans.
However, I couldn’t help but think maybe we've taken this sheer clothing trend too far. A lot of the looks included the combination of different textures and fabrics such as silk, chiffon and leather which paired better than I would have envisioned. Despite the feeling of similarity and repetition during the show, the mere absence of any clothes that could actually be worn during the winter, as well as the plaster of boobs that could not be avoided even if we wanted to, this was a great collection that left me inspired and confident.
2. Chloe
Free People could never. Chemena Kamali brought us back to the 70s with this boho chic-inspired collection featuring thigh-high boots and high-low free-form dresses; these were often paired with capes paired with wild and free hair styles It was made up of fringes, lapels, and more moving parts that would intentionally catch the wind.
Her use of materials like lace, denim, and chiffon brought out both the simplicity and authenticity I assume she was going for. On the other hand, the accessories made it feel like we were taking a time machine to the 70s: the block shades, charm necklaces, and jumbo-size bags, some with numerous buckles.
The whole essence behind this fall 2024 by incoming designer Chemena Kamali was to create a collection of a free-spirited woman, a woman who valued her intuition, and authenticity, playing with nostalgia, she captured perfectly with a palette consisting of pale pink, brown, earth green, navy blue and black this essence.
She aimed to bring out the true core of the brand and what it was built on. This show was a touching moment for all who had watched Kamali's journey through her years as a design intern to the creative director of Chloe. Kamali was truly able to symbolize warmth and positivity intended through the radiance of the collection.
3. Balmain
Balmain always brings out the best of creativity, this collection was fun and vibrant, missing absolutely nothing on the runway. Not only in the appliqué of materials but in the structure and shape of all the elements going into it. Every collection resembles couture even when that is not the intention.
Rousting uses khaki material (something we all loveee to hate) to create several versions of outfits turning trench coats into dresses and mixing them with leather jackets and more. I hate khak, but after this show Rousting had me reconsidering.
The corsets were basically sculptures such as the spiral gold one shown above. There was a lot of drapery which made the outfits more interesting as well. The accessories included handbags imitating fruit baskets, spiral earrings, and 3D grape bunches in various colors. The silhouette of the collection was fantastic and brought to life shapes in clothing I didn’t even know could exist. My favorite yet-to-be is the 3D corset top sculpted into a white hand that was holding a bouquet of flowers. Rousteing does it again and at this point, you would think we would be used to it... but it just gets better each time. No one does maximalism like Balmain and it's a trend I see evolving over the years.
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