The digital fashion month came to an end with the much anticipated Paris Fashion Week. With ten days of défilmés, Paris presents itself as the longest fashion week, shaping new and traditional codes into cyber-dreams.
With its unique mix of iconic couture houses, like Chanel and Dior, and more daring labels eager to make their way into the fashion scene, Paris keeps being the most relevant of fashion weeks, cementing its position even in this challenging Covid-Era.
Just like in London, Parisian houses pushed further their creativity in order to introduce their new collections. That's the case of Jonathan Anderson, similarly to his eponymous label, the creative director of Loewe took advantage of the current situation, reshaping the narrative to its creative purposes. The new Loewe collection has been presented as A Show in the News: a real newspaper supplement that announces the cancellation of the show, created in collaboration with M/M (Paris) and photographer Fumiko Imano.
"We were kind of into this idea that 'The Show Has Been Cancelled' as a narrative backdrop to the collection, and this idea of the headline. So we've produced a newspaper. And at the same time, we're making a time capsule, kind of like a tin box, in which the newspaper is folded into. The big surprise within it is that we have worked with the writer Danielle Steel who I've always admired as this prolific writer that really encourages people globally to read, which I think is something so important".
The Autumn/Winter 2021 collection is an exuberant quintessential Loewe one, where saturated colours are mixed with audacious shapes and volumes, instantly conveying a sense of much-needed joy in these unprecedented times.
Isabel Marant explores the concept of time, presenting a fearless collection that overlaps the past and future.
The new offering draws inspiration from the free spirit of the 60s, with figures like Jimmy Hendrix and Janis Joplin as contemporary muses, and the Gabber scene of the 90s as the side of the same coin.
The final result is a refined contrast between raw materials and precious details, floral prints and activewear inspired pieces. It's a versatile collection that celebrates craftsmanship and diversity.
This season saw also the debut of Gabriela Hearst, who presented her very first collection for Chloé, being named its creative director only last December.
Hearst wisely fulfilled her new role, conceiving the new offering within a few months only, mixing the heritage of the house with a new sense of purpose.
Sustainability is pivotal to the new collection, while the Chloé woman is bolder than ever, exploring a subtle colour palette and feminine shapes.
Being at the helm of the iconic house Nina Ricci since Autumn/Winter 2019, the dynamic duo formed by Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh has had now much time to digest and remix their identity within the French brand DNA.
Their menswear foundation is still there, but this season has been enriched by a more intense consideration of these delicate times we are currently living.
A more approachable couture that is still unique in the choice of colours and shapes, not to mention the quirky bucket hats that have inspired my own illustration.