The Highlights of Paris Fashion Week Fall 2018
Dior's Maria Grazia Chuiri took inspiration from the upcoming anniversary of the political revolution and student protests that happened in Paris during May 1968. That manifested itself in the form of hippie-inspired dresses and sweaters — and newsboy caps paired with translucent glasses in all shades of the rainbow. Each model wore this combo.
Under-the-radar brand Koché took over a theater in Paris to present its latest collection. The label is famous for using unconventional locations for its shows (just a few months ago, they took things on the road and showed a collection at The Strand in New York City) and this season was no exception. Models took a long trek through every single aisle of an old theater, on both the top and bottom floors, before taking over the stage.
Shayne Oliver (founder of Hood by Air and the latest guest designer of Helmut Lang) made a debut at Paris Fashion Week with a brand new project: a collaboration with Diesel as the first guest designer for Diesel's revival. He presented his denim line for the brand inside a warehouse-like space with models swinging and doing acrobatics inside giant, moving metal platforms hanging from the ceiling. The vibe was very HBA, with blaring music, cool club kids and a heavy streetwear asthetic. Diesel Red Tag Project will also premiere in different forms at NYFW, LFW and MFW later this year, with Oliver at the helm. He also told L'Officiel USA that the team behind this latest project, creatively, is Hood by Air and that the line (which was put on hold last year) will continue, with new work out eventually.
Off-White presented a collection full of the label's sporty signatures with a hint of girlishness — including corsets, bodysuits, fluffy tutus and skintight tees. Titled "West Village," it was inspired by a muse who "lives in the West Village and Soul Cycles on weekdays & rides horses in Westchester on the weekend." Fans were so hyped about the collection that they literally started a riot outside, pushing, kicking, pulling and screaming for fashion. It was scary, but also unlike anything I've ever seen at a fashion show in terms of hype.
Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood's latest collection saw Rose McGowan sitting front row, and it also saw many models wearing her trademark sky-high heels (a few of them took tumbles) along with slogan tees, crazy patterns and ultra-constructed pieces. Always one to make a statement, Westwood and Kronthaler placed gothic raver-style go-go dancers throughout the venue to dance during the show, whose jutting movements and twerks were the source of conversation hours after the show. The dancers demanded as much attention as the clothing.
Set to to the fantasy inducing music of Nino Rota (soundtrack artist for Fellini's films), Comme des Garcons presented an incredibly beautiful tribute to campiness. Models walked down a narrow runway wearing creations made of multiple layers, replete with crinolines, tulles, leopard prints and gllitter — and lots of it. Glitter was also the main attraction in terms of hair, since models wore out-of-this-world hair creations sculpted in green, red and pink glitters. "Notes on Camp,” Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay was Rei Kawakubo's reading material when thinking about the collection.
Last season, Thom Browne ended his show with a giant unicorn in Paris. Needless to say, that's pretty hard to top. Despite that, Browne created a couture-like show in Paris this week, with models posing to Madonna's "Vogue" in small sections facing guests, inbetween walking the main stretch of the runway. Surrounding the runway were also Browne's version of painters: models wearing grey beehives who pretended to paint all the action around them. The show ended with a procession of humans wearing realistic dog masks and heels, their elegant queen-like owner following behind.
Giambattista Valli's dramatic tulle dresses in candy-colored shades weren't the only thing front row guests were snapping for their Instagrams. This season, makeup artist Val Garland created a glitter mask for a few of the models walking the show. In silver, pink, and gold, the effect was surreal and by far, one of the best beauty moments of all of fashion month.
Chanel never fails to go OTT with set design. This season, Karl Lagerfeld created a magic forest complete with fall leaves and tall trees. Models including Kaia Gerber and Binx Walton all wore messy topknots and the signature Chanel house codes, such as tweed suiting, flap bags reinvented and some knee-high boots in shades of metallic that were particularly covetable. Perhaps these are the new version of the French fashion brand's glitter boots we've been seeing everywhere?
The interior of Miu Miu's fall 2018 show was decorated by M/M Paris in the form of posters hanging everywhere — with the typography that the design agency created to represent the alphabet of Miu Miu. That alone was special enough, but once the collection opened up with Elle Fanning walking the runway, the cheers were immediate. Once again, the brand presented a collection full of wearable, whimsical, covetable pieces: like short, flat boots in primary hues, patent leather jackets in soft silhouettes, off-the-shoulder sweaters worn with floral prints and pretty brocade dresses.
It was at Sacai's Fall 2018 show that we discovered some of the best coats and color combinations of the season. Brilliant scarlet reds were paired with rusty oranges on outerwear. Kelly green and camel was another unexpected, incredible pairing along with Yves Klein Blue and vivid raspberry. Mismatched shoes in various animal prints were also present. According to the show notes, designer Chitose Abe focused on "creating pragmatic solutions for modern life by cutting and splicing familiar forms to create something new."
