The fall-winter 2023-2024 haute couture collections, which took place in Paris from July 3 to 6, are an opportunity for couturiers to show off their expertise in evening wear, intended for red carpets or for the always numerous clients. (and in “total look”) at the fashion show of their favorite brand.
There is no doubt that Giorgio Armani knows all about it when it comes to offering a wardrobe cut out to shine. His haute couture line, Armani Privé, which has been on parade in the French capital since 2005, takes the form this season of a tribute to the rose. And pulls the thread of this flower that we find stitched in sequins on the belts worn with flowing champagne-colored trousers, applied in lace on long transparent dresses or even enlarged on small fitted jackets nicely embroidered. It is also found on embroideries reproducing traditional temples from the Far East or overhanging a motif reproducing a kabuki mask, this Japanese theater art. The long dresses available in red – including the bride’s dress – are worn as a bustier or with thin rhinestone straps. A refined wardrobe that we should quickly see hatch on the red carpets.
At Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli, for his part, invited his guests to the park of the Château de Chantilly (Oise). A grandiose setting, which delighted foreign guests, multiplying Instagram photos and other selfies. Called “Un château”, the collection explores the complexity of haute couture constructions, which requires the hand of craftsmen to be present in each fiber of the garment. A great evening aesthetic, through strapless dresses in light silk that twirl in the wind, others entirely embroidered with silver sequins that make noise as the model passes, or even draped and slit dresses whose shoulders are entirely dotted with feathers.
Outstanding colorist
The look is spectacular at times – a red sheath dress that reproduces a blossoming rose motif around the head – but still conveys a certain idea of comfort, supported by the flat mule shoes worn by the models. An outstanding colorist, the designer does not skimp on the effects of pink, red, blue or green, which stand out perfectly from the castle in the background.
At Fendi, the clothes this season are directly inspired by the high jewelry collection designed by Delfina Delettrez Fendi. “Even if not all silhouettes are wearing jewelry, the idea of jewelry is always present through the color palette: the different skin tones, the shades of black diamonds, rubies, sapphires. And the play on soft versus hard, skin against stone”says Kim Jones, artistic director.
Even if the jewelry inspiration is very significant, the collection bears the distinctive signs of his work. In an entirely white box installed in the Palais Brongniart, on a soundtrack by Klaus Nomi taking up a baroque theme from the 17th centurye century of Henry Purcell, he offered a collection of long, close-fitting dresses, often with a train, skilfully draped. Some play it sober, contenting themselves with elegant drapes, others are more maximalist, like the latest look, a pink skirt suit set embroidered with sequins and stones which required 1,200 hours of work. By hand, of course.
