PARIS (AP) — Over 1,000 adoring fans flocked to Place de la Concorde as over 1,000 adoring fans flocked to Paris Fashion Week menswear for a glimpse of their favorite stars.
Caretakers of the show’s VIP guests, including David Beckham, Naomi Campbell, and South Korean band BTS members J-Hope and Jimin, navigated the crowd like salmon swimming upstream.
Inside, Dior men’s designer Kim Jones pays tribute to Yves Saint Laurent, who became the world’s youngest couturier at the age of 21 in 1957 after the death of Christian Dior.
Here are some highlights from the Fall/Winter 2023-2024 collection.
YSL: Homage
In 1958, Saint Laurent presented the first Christian Dior collection. It was a global event that drew thousands of screaming fans as the designers flocked to the boulevard, and some things haven’t changed 65 years later.
Kim Jones used the women’s collection as inspiration for the men’s collection. It reflects the contrast between masculine and feminine, British tailoring and couture.
Jones also captures that fluidity to create gender-neutral displays with soft shapes and loose waists. The flared, buttonless suit cut a nice trapezoidal silhouette, as did his sweater, a clever white knit with sleeves cut off like a poncho.
Jones did his homework. In his Saint Laurent debut, he abandoned the famous Dior’s cinched waists and long fabrics in favor of more fluid shapes with bodies gone, effectively inventing the trapeze silhouette.
Some Jones styles, such as the updated marine sailor top, were taken directly from the 1958 archives.
But this sublime show was more than just an homage. Three-dimensional printed shoes followed her banding contemporary sheer organza vest, which looked aggressive yet feminine. Embellished pearls off the shoulder of her coat Her tailoring evoked slovenly rebel and blossom at the same time.
Dior Star Thespian
The unique fusion of celebrity, artistry, hysteria, beauty and wafting perfume at Dior’s show simply overwhelmed the senses. It started with a stunning performance video interwoven with images from the collection.
Christie told the Associated Press, “I’m really happy to be at the Dior show. It’s no surprise that Kim Jones is one of the greatest designers alive. He’s an old friend of mine. I am very lucky that I am.”
But even the cool Christie, star of both the Dior show and “Game of Thrones,” was instantly dumped by journalists when BTS’ Jimin, who was recently announced as Dior’s brand ambassador, arrived. At times, he seemed overwhelmed.
Paul Smith changes the century
Smith delves into the history books to create a thoughtful exhibition that blends 1970s London with 1870s cities.
A quilted coat with a checked cloak perfectly illustrates this. It has a wide back, as if it were made in Baker Street, and if it had a pipe, it could have been worn by Sherlock Holmes.
Elsewhere, high white collars evoke 19th-century sophistication, while dark velvet-like coats with large collars reveal a beautiful textured thickness.
This kind of old-fashioned thinking gave autumn and winter a simpler style than usual, but it was a welcome change.
Smith’s touchstone, the 1970s, was also on display. Designs include a puffy checked coat, bright blue print his pants, and loosely colored suits with broad shoulders and rounded edges.
The best looks were a blend of the two eras. For example, his loose cerulean trench coat with voluminous layers paired with his striped blue silk foulard.
BOTTER is the best
Flashes of vibrant color and quirky quirkiness imbued Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh’s wonderful co-ed Autumn cooking.
If Botter’s relentlessly creative and eccentric show had an overarching theme, it certainly was a coincidence.
A blue bikini was humorously sewn over a shimmering satin shirt dress. The neon pink knitted sweater placed in front of another sweater was perhaps an ironic swipe of how cold the weather is in Paris these days.