Couture aims to paint a picture of what powerful women look like through clothing and the collections this season are just as different from one another as actual women in power are. The disjointed array of collections reflects the democratization of fashion today, in which women are the taste arbiters for themselves in both their wardrobe and life choices. Begging the question of whether it was the designers who were on the pulse for this moment, or if they are by chance noticing the unprecedented number of women who are present culturally in politics, science and fashion today? Here is a look at the highlights from this week.
A Giambattista Valli look that appeared to be a tribute to Italian designer Roberto Cappuci. Photo: Vogue.com
Giambattista Valli
His critics hint that there isn’t an intellectual or thought-provoking element in his designs, but this couture season, even the loudest ones are silenced. The incorporation of the balloon dresses is new and refreshing; a silhouette that has not been brought back properly since the 1960s. The magnified bows presented in the collection are also a new feature of the designer’s work and give dimensionality to his dresses. The Avedonesque photography of the collection (there was no show) paid tribute to the style of Truman Capote’s Swans (Lee would have loved it) and Italian designer Roberto Cappuci’s sculptural silhouettes and ruffle on ruffle. While with their Mediterranean color-pop shades, you couldn’t have worn them to Capote’s Black and White Ball, they’re a no-brainer for upcoming celebrity red carpets.
Viktor&Rolf’s baby doll dress, a punk vision for sustainability. Photo: Vogue.com
Viktor&Rolf
Rolf Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren managed to design a collection constructed entirely out of fabric samples sent to them by suppliers that they had never thrown away. This was managed by employing a patchwork design throughout the collection, which was rendered in a playful, and borderline rebellious, fashion on the runway. Their punk army approach to sustainability is typed by the heavily tatted models; with words like “DREAM” and “LOVE” imprinted across their foreheads. It’s an approach to sustainability in fashion designed for the people who CBA to conform to the constraints of the pared-down minimalist aesthetic.
A Greek goddess-inspired Christian Dior couture gown. Photo: Vogue.com
Christian Dior
Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior couture collection was characteristically centered around female empowerment. This time around, the designer reimagined second-wave feminist and artist Judy Chicago’s work through the lens of Botticelli’s Greek goddesses. The collaboration spurred from Chiuri’s piqued interest in Chicago’s sculpture “The Female Divine,” which was rooted in the question “What if women ruled the world?” The reimaging of Chicago’s sculpture took the form of the space itself, which was designed to resemble a womb. Chiuri noted that “when Judy talked about this idea of goddesses, my [her] mind immediately came back to my memories of the statues in Rome, of Botticelli, my [her] point of view that is more Italian.”
It’s worth noting how discourse from second-wave feminists is known to be highly critical of fashion’s role in perpetuating limited ideas of womanhood. One of these being the constraints and pressure put onto women who are told that their youth and beauty is of utmost importance, which was overlooked (and kind of reinforced) in the show by the exclusive casting of young, same-size models. It seems like Chiuri is all bark and no bite when it comes to actually realizing feminism on the runway.
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s technical skill shines at Valentino. Photo: Vogue.com
Valentino
Pierpaolo Piccioli saw to it that technique and skill took precedence over a narrative arch throughout the show. Disposing of the storytelling concept entirely, Piccioli let the clothes speak for themselves. This approach allowed for careful consideration of how the clothes would move on the runway, which is best exemplified by the cutting of the neo-mint skirt worn by Blesnya Minher that swayed with rhythmic precision on each step. These dresses cater to the woman looking to make a point - that she is the life of the party, and reminding everyone around her that she is a force to be reckoned with. Other designers feel they need to dictate the meaning of their clothes, so that we the observers don’t project our own. But whether you tell a story or not, meaning is always there. And projection is good. Meaning is made by our collective projections.
A Puritan-inspired look from Chanel’s haute couture collection. Photo: Vogue.com
Chanel
Virginie Viard harkened back to the legend of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel to compile her collection for the Haute Couture show. The clothing contained elucidations to the convent of Aubazine, where Gabrielle was known to have developed her sewing skills while under the care of nuns. This engendered a puritanical essence in the collection, which was sobering to the eye and could, at times, be likened to the costuming for a modern production of The Crucible. But, hey, witchiness is in now and we all have reason to believe that the “good girl” get-up might not be as spotless as it seems - just look back at the post-convent life of Gabrielle herself (a woman who never played by the book).
Surrealist design featured in Schiaparelli’s couture show. Photo: Vogue.com
Schiaparelli
Daniel Roseberry produced a collection for the Schiaparelli Couture show that reflected his authentic interest the personal history of Schiaparelli herself. From the sophisticated evening wear designed from a beige and navy palette to the exuberant garments cut from multicolor cloth, the collection accurately demonstrated the introvert-extrovert idea and “contradictory personality” notion that Daniel Roseberry spoke about backstage, much apparent in Schiaparelli’s life, working and partying in the 1930s. Surrealism, a revolution against the constraints of the rational mind, is an element often seen at Schiaparelli, who herself was heavily influenced by the work of psychologist Sigmund Freud. Roseberry delivers subconscious flourishes with aplomb.
Givenchy’s petal-like silhouettes stem from Clare Waight Keller’s vision of an English garden. Photo: theimperession.com
Givenchy
Clare Waight Keller’s Couture collection for Givenchy was inspired by romanticism as well as the flora in English gardens. This rendered itself in the elaborate draping of fabric as well as the petal-like silhouette adorned by some of the models, like Lina Zhang. Not to say this collection is for the shrinking violet. With the mineral-like hues, ombres, pastels, buttered neutrals, patterns and monochromatic color schemes - this collection caters to intellectual creatives who want to stand out and harness their energy through fashion. The disciplined mood also strongly reminded us of Mr. de Givenchy’s original muse, Audrey Hepburn. This collection will appeal to her modern-day iterations.
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