Paris Fashion Week fall/winter 2024 has been full of surprises, exciting creative director debuts, and multi-interpretable collections. Where quiet luxury used to reign, that era seems over. Instead, many houses return to their roots and play with reality; at some shows, nothing was what it seemed. Cover image: courtesy of Coperni
Paris Fashion Week fall/winter 2024
Fashion month has ended after hundreds of shows, collections, and thousands of outfits. Traditionally, Chanel, Miu Miu, and Louis Vuitton closed the month with their shows on the first Tuesday of March. This season, brands seemed to have looked less and less at what’s been trending on TikTok. Instead, they focused inwardly on their core principles and heritage. Brands returning to their DNA in a modern way may seem like nothing new, but it feels welcoming and refreshing after seasons in which the virtual dictated what to wear.
Chemena Kamali’s debut at Chloé dictated the return of the French it-girl, where Stefano Gallici’s second collection for Ann Demeulemeester prepared the house for the future. Then, there were some new kids on the block, too. Duran Lantink, Niccolò Pasqualetti, Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, and Zomer scored high. This new generation of designers carves the path for the younger generation. They show how sustainability and innovative design can go hand in hand – something most reclaimed fashion houses could learn from. Discover the Paris Fashion Week fall/winter 2024 highlights and not-to-miss moments below.
The highlights and biggest New York Fashion Week trends for fall/winter 2024
A STRONG START FOR STEFANO GALLICI AT ANN DEMEULEMEESTER
Stefano Gallici’s sophomore show for Anne Demeulemeester felt like a new beginning. He approached the archives of the house with the utmost precision and eye for detail and soaked up the brand’s DNA, ready to give it his spin. “The roots of my idea of what Ann should be lie in the power of indefiniteness, in an ambiguity of dressing, being, and behaving that allows the freedom to be as one wants, boundlessly. I see Ann as a mindscape more than a brand,” the creative director explained. “The elephant in the room in such a plan is the archive: the extraordinary corpus built by Ann in her viscerally personal career. […] The archive, to me, is a forest in which to enter and get lost, discovering myself as I discover things while continuing to get lost, maybe forgetting something familiar to find something new.” This “new” was found in a three-piece suit, tailored coats, lace, and a sensual sense of minimalism the house is known for. The creative director tapped into a couple of this season’s trends: from olive green outfits to burgundy leathers and even faux fur – without obviously referring to the ubiquitous mob wife aesthetic.
THE TRUE MEANING BEHIND DEMNA’S COLLECTION
There’s much to say about Demna’s fall/winter collection for Balenciaga. Many thought he would have parted ways with the house by now, but Demna keeps provocating. Pre-show, the creative director explained how he had been detoxing his personal life; no more toxicity and people making him feel bad about himself (obviously referring to his fight with his brother, creative director at Vetements). We all need such a detox, Demna thinks. His 24/7 masks covered the models’ faces with acetate, providing relief from the stimuli of daily life and protecting the wearer from the toxic people in their lives.
Furthermore, the collection features blown-up bags to accommodate everything you need—the easy-to-get part. Then there were looks made out of dust bags. In a world saturated with content, you see anything anywhere, whether you like it or not. “Stuck to your phone, you end up not even checking what you wear, so you end up wearing dust bags,” content creator and fashion critic Lyas explained. Demna played with the interaction between fashion, pop culture, and subculture, something he has done quite well in past collections. However, to some extent, it can become a bit too mockery. The styling felt very modern, but we’ve heard about social media saturating human brains. Nevertheless, the problem keeps growing, and Demna holds anyone accountable.
AN ODE TO LYDIA ROUSTEING
Olivier Rousteing’s latest collection for Balmain undoubtedly belongs to the Paris Fashion Week fall/winter 2024 highlights. His collection was an ode to his upbringing in Bordeaux and his adoptive mother, Lydia Rousteing. His mom, typically French in style, “loved the looks,” the designer proudly explained pre-show. Rousteing grew up in a region from which the world’s most famous wines stem, and the collection reflected this. Grapes were draped on dresses and the models’ hands and – more modestly – woven into fabrics. “It’s about timeless elegance and an homage to French culture,” Rousteing explained. And so, even the gingham print, referencing picnics in the French countryside, appeared. Some looks excelled in simplicity, while others would fit in Balmain’s couture collection. It was unmistakenly a Balmain in its Rousteing-era collection, showcasing mastery in draping, pleating, beading, and leather craftsmanship. Every garment spoke volumes of Balmain’s commitment to outstanding sophistication, from the sleeveless X-shaped jackets to the avant-garde lapel designs adorned with gilded accents.
CHANEL’S MOST DARING LOOKS SO FAR
“Deauville is where everything started for the House. 1912, the creation of her hat shop and then very quickly the creation of the first clothes with their visionary, radical style. It’s where it all began for Gabrielle Chanel. This story is very close to my heart,” confides Virginie Viard. On the racecourse, on the seaside, at the gaming table, in restaurants and palaces, on the “Planches” boardwalk: everything is about elegance and self-staging, reads Chanel’s press preview. It’s safe to say this was Viard’s best collection for Chanel so far. The fall/winter 2024 collection draws its femininity from Gabrielle Chanel’s wardrobe and its masculinity from the subtle elegance of winter sojourns by the sea. Broad-shouldered peacoats and long dressing-gown-style belted coats are worn over tweed suits – box-pleated skirts, culottes, or cropped trousers –drop-front trousers or trousers with tabs at the back. The prize for the best accessory goes to the big straw hat, executed in several shapes and sizes. It’s only a matter of time before they take over the red carpet and your social media feed.
COPERNI BREAKS THE INTERNET
It would be remiss to Coperni to say that their collaboration with NASA is one of the highlights of the Paris Fashion Week fall/winter 2024. Instead, the partnership marks a significant moment in fashion history. A bag made of air can carry at least 4,000 times its weight, which no one ever witnessed before. And so, Coperni keeps pushing the boundaries of what fashion can look like – now and in the future. Besides their “airbag” in collaboration with NASA, Coperni launched a second version of its signature Swipe Bag made from meteorite. The specific meteorite featured in the bag is estimated to have fallen on Earth 55,000 years ago and is certified 100% authentic by Theatrum Mundi. All yours for €40.000 (approximately $44.000).
A PLAYFUL TAKE ON REALITY AT KIMHĒKIM
South Korean designer Kimhēkim is doing well. They’ve made a cool new bag, played around with their signature designs, and planned to open a big new store in Paris. Everything seems to fall into place for the house, which was part of the official Paris Fashion Week fall/winter 2024 schedule. His collection formed an ode to upcycling and innovative ways to transform the old into something new. The designer’s ingenuity with clothes is something to note; why wear a jacket as a jacket when it can also serve as a dress or skirt? Kimhēkim obviously loves to rewrite the rules of fashion, underscored by models who just walked the runway, filling empty seats in the audience.
SOOTHING COLORS AT VICTORIA BECKHAM
A fitness injury didn’t stop Victoria Beckham from putting on a great show. The designer explained that her collection was “all about the silhouette.” Beckham and her team have spoken a lot lately about creating a wardrobe, and the Victoria Beckham fall/winter 2024 collection pointed this out clearly. It all looked grown-up and modern, with a soothing color palette. Furthermore, there were ski-inspired pullovers, leather staple items that stand the test of time, and looks that would not be inferior to those of Khaite or The Row.
