The Best of Haute Couture: Paris Fashion Week 2018

Paris fashion week is the time when the Fashion World takes a break from the fast moving industry; it’s the time the world steps into the fantasy of high fashion. Haute couture 2018, Paris has once again pushed its boundaries to give us the most grandiose and beautiful gowns. Some trends have picked up already and others have a miss but the experience that this show has given us is the one to remember.

Givenchy’s collection is a derivation of men’s wear juxtaposed with the traditional feminine silhouettes. Claire Waight Keller’s debut to couture showed master construction techniques. The brand dismissed more romantic gowns and replaced it with bold silhouettes in sophisticated goth styles. Big, stiffened collars, cutaway patters, structured shoulders and open backs were the statement trends that Givenchy gave out to the market. One of the Interesting parts of this collection, it had revisited the famous iconic dresses of Audrey Hepburn especially her LBD iconic dress at Breakfast at Tiffany and gave it an interesting couture update.

Maria Grazia Chiuri, the head designer at Dior went to celebrate the process of Haute couture. She took inspiration from the book, “Atelier: Places of Thought and Creation”.  The set was a calm white floor-to-ceiling grid in which she installed all of the collection’s toiles on dress forms. The collection designed in nude colour tones and rich-hued details and is structured in silhouette but tailored in light satins. The suits and coats were detailed in pleats, interesting cut of sleeves and necklines were especially emphasized.
Valentino presented their fall ’18 collection- “A lot of Dreams”. The head designer describes the collection as “to have a free approach with fabrics, embroideries, colours, etc. I wanted to go very instinctively.” Vibrant colours, huge, sweeping, take-your-breath-away volumes were the highlighted trend of the collection. Bright and happy shades of blue, fuchsia, green and tangerine were inspired by the flora and fauna. Beautiful ornamentation and elaborate embroideries got the collection dazzled up; use of contrasting textured fabrics, patchwork in metallic and large ruffles define the upcoming trends for the season.
Karl Lagerfeld recreated the banks of the Seine in the middle of the Grand Palais, he finished the set with the Institut de France building as the backdrop. Adult Akech stunned the audience as this season’s Chanel bride. Starting with linear silhouettes: long jackets, skirt to knee or ankle, Lagerfeld added crystal-bordered zippers down the length of sleeves and skirts. Grey was the trending colour and maintained its presence from gowns to suits with simpler sleeves.
Iris van Harpen gave Haute couture a twist of illusion with garments opening a way for more futuristic explorations. Craft-intensive explorations, lab-grown materials were the emerging trend considering the depleting natural resources. The garments had a lot of drama and visual movement. The collection had an ethereal underwater feel and luminous cape gowns in sheer silk organza.

A melting pot of all things fantasy and spectacularly beautiful, it provided the perfect start to what was an interesting month of fashion. The unique trends emerging from the fashion week finds a place in peoples’ hearts and wardrobes around the globe. The heritage brands never went short on recreating the classics and the newer ones explored the possibilities of the future.

Ref: wwd.com, Glamour.com, Newyorktimes.com

By: Snehal