Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week 2023 was a thrilling and unforgettable experience! From January 23rd to January 26th, the city of Paris came alive with 29 stunning and renowned fashion brands such as Schiaparelli, Fendi, Chanel, Viktor & Rolf, Zuhair Murad, and Jean Paul Gaultier. These legendary labels showcased their latest collections in a breath-taking display of style and creativity, against the picturesque backdrop of the beautiful and chilly city of Paris. It was a magical celebration of fashion, art, and beauty that left us all in awe and inspired.
Exploring the Rich History of Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week
Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week is a bi-annual event that has been showcasing the latest high-end fashion designs for over 150 years. The event was first organized by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 1868 as a way to promote French fashion and to distinguish it from the ready-to-wear designs produced by other countries. The event was held twice a year, in January and July, and featured a mix of established designers and up-and-coming talents.
Over the years, Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week has been a platform for some of the most iconic fashion designers in history, including Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and more recently, Valentino, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen. The event has also been a major influence on fashion trends around the world and continues to be a showcase for the latest in high-end fashion design. Today, the event is considered one of the most important events in the fashion calendar and attracts the attention of fashion critics, buyers, and celebrities from around the world.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the best collections of paris haute couture fashion week 2023 from our point of view.
Schiaparelli’s Inferno: A Visual Feast of Art and Fashion in the Haute Couture Spring Summer 2023 Collection
The new Haute Couture Spring Summer 2023 collection by Schiaparelli, designed by Daniel Roseberry, is a visual feast inspired by Dante’s inferno. Roseberry has taken the brand’s archive garments and expanded on them, creating a collection that is both familiar and new. From taxidermied hats, originally created by Madame Elsa, to dresses adorned with foam, wool resin and silk faux fur, the collection is a perfect representation of the link between art and fashion.
The collection of Schiaparelli in Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week 2023, with its rough and atrocious beasts, echoes a Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil. The loin, the she-wolf and the lion are worn in the form of long dresses or coats respectively by Shalom Harlow, Irina Shayk and Naomi Campbell, in a perfectly reconstructed iconographic allegory. The reference to the Italian masterpiece is sometimes clear, sometimes implied, a balance that makes the essence of this collection incredibly difficult to decipher.
The show, in the graceful museum setting, finished with a ripple and then a roar of applause from the audience. It was a powerful and beautiful collection, and it seems that Roseberry has a clear vision of where he wants to take the Schiaparelli brand. The collection was a perfect marketing action, a book stylist disguise that dressed even the most vacuous of influencers with intellectual heritage, and it leaves us wondering what the future holds for this iconic fashion house.
Schiaparelli in Paris Haute couture fashion week
A Timeless Tribute: The Dior Haute Couture Spring 2023 Collection Honors the Legendary Josephine Baker
The Dior’s collection in Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week 2023 was a captivating and mesmerizing display of craftsmanship, artistry and seduction, inspired by the legendary African American performer, Josephine Baker. The creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, paid a fitting tribute to the iconic Baker through a predominantly black and white color palette, featuring sleek and streamline construction, along with delicate touches of femininity such as floral appliqués, puffed sleeves and playful tassels. The show set, featuring artworks by Mickalene Thomas of Baker, added a powerful emotional depth and significance to the collection, highlighting the importance of black and mixed-race female figures.
The collection was a modern interpretation of the cabaret era of Paris, marked by a clean and light silhouette, rich embroidery and a nod to the house’s traditional ’50s shape, but with a closer alignment to Chiuri’s vision. The designer’s goal was to create a collection that is both timeless and contemporary, and she has achieved this through a masterful blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern techniques.
The collection showcases the incredible skill and artistry of the Dior atelier, with each piece being a true work of haute couture. From the corseted dresses and sharp-shouldered blazers to the full-skirted gowns, every piece exudes a sense of elegance and refinement. The use of a variety of fabrics such as silk cady, velvet, and taffeta, added a rich and luxurious texture to the collection. The long black silk cady dress and the purple velvet gown had a particular vintage feel reminiscent of Baker’s style and the era she lived in. Overall, the collection was a celebration of the beauty, elegance and power of women and paid a fitting tribute to the legendary Josephine Baker.
Dior in Paris haute couture fashion week
Out of This World: Iris Van Herpen’s Revolutionary Underwater Collection
Iris Van Herpen, a designer known for her forward-thinking approach to fashion, has created a collection that is truly out of this world in Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week 2023. Filmed entirely underwater, the film showcases models holding their breath in ethereal garments that were designed to be worn underwater. This collection is a symbol of female protest and an ode to the demonstrations in Iran. Van Herpen collaborated with Julie Gautier, a French dancer, choreographer, and underwater film-maker, to create a mesmerizing film that showcases the collection in all its underwater beauty while also loaded with symbolism. This collection is a powerful reminder of the strength and determination of female protestors across the world. Van Herpen’s unique approach to fashion is a personal way to talk about our identity, culture, and values. This collection is not just clothes, it’s so much more.
Iris Van Harpen in Paris haute couture fashion week
“Stunning Debut by Indian Designer Gaurav Gupta at Paris Haute Couture Week”
The Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week was elevated to new heights as Indian fashion designer, Gaurav Gupta, made his long-awaited debut on the official calendar. On January 26th, Gupta presented his label’s first showcase at Palais De Tokyo in Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week 2023 with a mesmerizing collection entitled “Shunya.” The designer explored the possibilities between zero and infinity with elements of mythology, fantasy, and surrealism, presenting a series of sculpturesque pieces in electric blue indigo and ornate fabrics like satin, chiffon, and organza.
Gupta’s showcase was a celebration of Indian culture, with a focus on hand-loomed and hand-woven tissue fabrics, intricate embroidery, and embellishments that gave each dress an ethereal aura. The runway show began with a series of extreme silhouettes, featuring swan-like wings that twisted around the models’ shoulders and hips. The designer then moved on to a series of indigo and electric-blue pieces, followed by nude-illusion dresses with intricate black embellishments. The show culminated in a series of black and gold creations, each one more breathtaking than the last.
Gupta’s debut at Paris Haute Couture Week marks a major milestone in his career, and a recognition of his growing international status. The designer has long been beloved by his Bollywood clientele, and in recent years, his sculptural designs have been worn by global A-list stars such as Cardi B, Lizzo, and Kylie Minogue. In a statement, Gupta challenged the perception of what it means to be Indian, saying, “There’s a sense of fluid form, maximalism, the techniques and craftsmanship — all of that is Indian. I want to challenge the perception of the words ‘India’ or ‘Indianness.'”
Gaurav Gupta at Paris Haute Couture fashion week
Viktor & Rolf’s Avant-Garde Collection Defies Conventional Beauty at Paris Fashion Week Show
Viktor & Rolf turned the fashion world on its head with their latest Haute-Couture collection at the Paris Fashion Week show. The avant-garde Dutch duo presented a series of stunning, yet absurd, women’s silhouettes that defied conventional norms. The models walked the runway in floor-length gowns, some of which were detached from the torso, worn horizontally, or flipped upside down. Rolf Snoeren stated that the collection was a twisted take on the archetype of femininity in line with the 21st century. The event was attended by celebrities such as Doja Cat, Lisa Rinna, Noah Cyrus, and Olivia Palermo, who was left in awe by the designer’s creative display. The fashion label, known for its playful, innovative shows, has once again made a bold statement in the fashion industry
Victor and Rolf in Paris fashion week