This year’s fashion weeks have been going on for almost two months now. (You would be forgiven for not noticing, given the current news cycle.) They started in January with the men’s wear shows, which were followed by the couture shows, which were followed by fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris.
Paris hosts the biggest and glitziest of these events, and Styles covered the major moments. But as the week — and season — draws to a close, we recall others that turned our heads, made us smile or that kept us talking long after we saw them.
Runway Romance, Courtesy of Posh and Becks
Neither days of rain nor crowds screaming for their favorites celebs nor a broken foot after a gym mishap could stop Victoria Beckham from having her show — and hobbling out at the end of it to to kiss her biggest fan: her husband, David. Also applauding the trompe l’oeil jackets that turned out to be halter tops and the face-framing coat collars were their children Brooklyn, Cruz and Harper, as well as their daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz Beckham. Perhaps the most impressive accessorizing, though, was Victoria’s crutches, which matched her black pants and top. (VF)
Vetements: Back and Bigger Than Ever
Why was Antoine Arnault, the eldest scion of the LVMH empire, in the front row of Vetements, the brand founded by Demna and Guram Gvalasia and now run solely by Guram? Was LVMH considering a purchase? So went the front-row whispers before the show, though the answer soon became apparent: Mr. Arnault’s wife, Natalia Vodianova, was on the runway. So was Alexander Edwards, Cher’s significant other, which explains why she was there, and so was Georgina Rodriguez, the girlfriend of Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a jersey dress with his number on it.
The soccer star sadly couldn’t come to cheer Ms. Rodriguez on, though he did autograph her look, one of a series of clickbait runway moments that made the experience seem more like a “Real Designers of Paris” episode than a fashion show. Anwar Hadid, the brother of Gigi and Bella, wearing a gargantuan T-shirt that read “Not Mom’s Favorite,” was another (especially given the rumored tension between the brothers Gvaslia). “Team Aniston” and “Team Jolie” sweats were a third. Though maybe “Desperate Housewives” was the more appropriate comparison, given that Marcia Cross, one of the stars of that early Noughties series, modeled the last Swarovski-strewn look. (VF)
Catwalk Turn by Sam Smith
A-list cameos on the runway are a dime a dozen, but eyes still popped at the sight of Sam Smith at Vivienne Westwood. The singer took to the catwalk in a matching tartan codpiece, beret and platform ankle boots, clutching a wooden staff, while an experimental Austrian folk band called Sons of Sissy indulged in a bit of spinning and singing and some wood chopping and butt slapping. Yodel-ay-hee-hoo. (EP)
The Sweetest Moment at Chloé
Chemena Kamali’s first collection for Chloé was the best received of the two high-profile debuts in Paris. Her tiered maxidresses, flared jeans and blouses with fluted sleeves evoked a lightness and fluidity that prompted many to herald the return of the so-called Chloé girl. At the finale, when Ms. Kamali took her bow, then swept her little boy into her arms as he ran to give her a hug, the whoops and cheers were some of the loudest of the season. (EP)
A Coperni Bag Made Out of (Nearly) Nothing
Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant of Coperni love a viral fashion week stunt. In the past a machine spray-painted a dress onto a nearly naked Bella Hadid and robot dogs prowled the runway. This season, they revealed their version of an “it” bag — the Air Swipe — made from aerogel, the lightest material on earth, which is also used by NASA to collect space dust. The composition of 1 percent glass and 99 percent air gave new meaning to “barely there fashion.” (EP)
Courrèges Created a Breathtaking Set
Nicolas Di Felice, the Courrèges creative director, called his show a “study of symmetry and sensuality.” Models slid their hands suggestively into pants and trench coats with single pockets, and peekaboo slivers were cut to reveal flanks and hip bones on dresses with tumbling sleeves and straps. But it was the distractingly sexy set that hammered the message home. As the models walked to a soundtrack of heavy breathing and a beating heart, the fabric floor began to heave and sigh, inflating and deflating as the collection reached its — ahem — climax. (EP)
The Row Ruffled Feathers
The Row is a brand that thrives on discretion, aesthetic and otherwise. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen never give interviews and don’t appear at the end of their shows for the usual bow. But even by their standards, the request that guests not use their smartphones or post any pictures sent the audience into a tizzy.
Were they trying to underscore their luxury cred by making sure only those who were there had access to the experience? Were they commenting on the fact that most guests now seem to watch shows on their phones rather than with their own eyes? Whatever the reason, it meant that you will have to take our word that this was one of their best collections yet. (VF)
Drones as Models at Anrealage
Eighteen floating forms — pyramids and cubes and globes and dodecahedrons — dressed in 18 awning-stripe and metallic outfits that work equally well on the human body. Nine models demonstrating. Who wore them better — the person or their object avatar — in Kunihiko Morinaga’s Anrealage presentation, which imagined what fashion might become in the 22nd century? Does it matter, when both of them look so cool? (VF)
Is It Even Fashion Week Without Kim Kardashian?
Normally, one can’t move for Kardashians at fashion week. This season, they were few and far between, save for at the Balenciaga show, where Kim Kardashian made an appearance. The reality star has a long association with the brand: She arrived at the Met Gala in 2021 in a full-length Balenciaga outfit that completely covered her face, walked in a couture show in 2022 and is now an official brand ambassador. On Sunday, she attended the show in a black lace dress with the brand tag hanging from the back — accessories that later appeared in the show. Stand by for the copycats and a new trend for 2024. (EP)
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