Fashion is not just about glam clothes and boney models walking down the extravagant runway that feels intimidating. Fashion week shapes the way of the world in multiple ways and speaks in the most elegant way possible to the entire garment and accessory industry all over the globe. Fashion week is a platform for showcasing trends that are going to rule the next season. This year on Paris Fashion week Spring/Summer 2019 collection, designers gave us a new dimension of elegance. It was undoubtedly thought-provoking and full of new ideas while exploring the idea of gender equality in a gracious way.
The top collections showcased belongs to the pioneer brands namely Valentino, Chanel, Luis Vuitton, Givenchy, Balenciaga and some new names such as Rick Owens. All the big4 fashion weeks dictated gender equality this year and Paris concluded by igniting the idea even in retailer’s heart that men’s and women’s wear does not need to be separated anymore.
John Galliano’s Maison Margiela show paved the path for the idea of ‘Everything for Everybody’ and freely explained that not only we need to embrace all cultures and races but also all genders. He fit the entire collection on one of the snake-hipped boys who stomped the runway, draping suits on the bias, golden brocade bustiers, and what looked like repurposed 1950s beaded frocks over tapering second-skin pants.
There were a lot of black on the runway and a long funeral parade of the designers making the colour back on the bench dominating the supposedly flowery bright prints and colours of summer. Hedi Slimane made a highly controversial debut with a heart dedicated to black at Celine, as did his successor at Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello.
On the other hand, Chanel’s invitation to a tropical beach, complete with fake waves was a show of real and relatable fashion—a blissfully easy trip bringing us back to the heart of Parisian chic. Beige, ladylike suits, silk dresses, chain bags ruled the runway and gave away a game changing trend of tiny bags that all the designers agreed with. Bags are getting smaller and from Chanale to Louis Vuitton. Issey Miyake’s new bag hat is made with shot fabric and can be folded into a hat and worn in an almost infinite number of ways.
Tights with sandals or open-toed shoes are not icky anymore and that was declared by none-other-than Givenchy. Miu Miu dared to pair black tights with pink, silver, brown and purple sandals, some with platform soles straight from the 1970s while Courrèges matched skin-tone tights bearing its logo with miniskirts and flat sandals.
At Luis Vuitton experienced 1980s’ exaggerated silhouettes and recurrent motifs, high-tech fabrications like molded rubber, space suit sleeves, Memphis Group prints, and the Parisian savoir faire of sculptural
dresses in sequin-embroidered mesh. Flanged collars, peeling shoulders, and exuberant cuffs turned jackets into impenetrable carapaces was the play of Rick Owens. Balenciaga marked its show with focusing on creating new silhouettes such as squared shoulders, a different iteration of the ‘C-line,’ creating a pulled-back cocoon cut with collars shooting forward to cover the face.
With decade defining reincarnations blazing in brand new looks the Paris Fashion Week concluded leaving the world in awe.
