Fibs, flies & florals for Spring
Paris Fashion Week you were so.... groundbreaking
Picture this. It’s 11 days before your Spring ‘24 collection shows at Paris Fashion Week. There’s a cocktailing effect of excitement + nerves + sass brewing in your stomach, but you tell yourself, “Hey, we’ve got this”. At least you did, until 50 pieces from said collection were stolen.
Imagination for some, reality for Balmain’s creative director, Olivier Rousteing (according to Instagram). Fortunately for him, his box braid wig (colour #4 FYI) did not, in fact, get snatched.
Talk about dramatics. One would have hoped a follow-up on the robbery would follow suit. Instead, Rousteing and team moved ahead with the collection debut, titled ‘florals for spring’ (don’t say it), to deliver a show that was nothing short of pure charm and strong tailoring. Garments bloomed flowers, roses rose rosily on dresses and bags. It was a sartorial love letter. It was French, it was chic and it was glamorous.
But what of the carjacked clothes?
Kholi: I’ll believe it when I read an official statement that they’ve made progress with law enforcement. I'm trying to imagine a lorry carjacking those clothes and it's just an unbelievable situation. It’s giving Ocean’s (film series).
Verity: I’m sorry but, the turnaround! Olivier is either too proud to admit he lost (and subsequently found) them or the Balmain team had some pieces stashed away as spares. It’s all a bit Judge Rinder.
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K: Also, this is the best collection he’s done in years! Could it be his swan song for the house? He has been there forever and a day. Either way, those looks had me gagged. Those fibs—I mean florals were truly groundbreaking.
V: She said it.
Now Givenchy was absolutely noteworthy, if even a little reminiscent of Kim Jones’ Fendi. Clean slate? The lines of those garments would say so.
K: Kudos to Matthew Williams for attempting a softer, more cultivated collection. The satin opera coats in those gorgeous pastel colours were among my favourites. And those sheer chiffon dresses—and note that I'm kind of over sheer—were sublime!
V: There’s something so deliciously sophisticated about Matthew’s use of hosiery. Experimenting with a sock-like covering to encase the heels - I just couldn’t get enough. And the buttery, lemony goodness of that coat. Williams has really found his footing at Givenchy. Pun intended.
After weeks of being practically starved this fashion month, along came Loewe. Serving what, you may ask? Some seriously good food. The knits, the Mary Janes, the leather skirts that were cinched with a massive knitting needle. Dee-vine.
Jonathan Anderson is a designer with the talent and range that delivers and delivers and delivers, just ask Lyst.
Oddly enough, his level of success is eerily reminiscent of the late Alexander McQueen’s. McQueen was once reviewed under the words “he supremely gets this mojo moment” and the same could totally be said about Anderson. The level of game-changing at Loewe and JW Anderson (own label) is unmatched.
K: He’s indisputably *that* designer. He’s the moment. He knows how to make a good product (still obsessed with Beyoncé’s Renaissance bodysuit btw), and consistently dazzles the girls and gays with something fresh and new. I’d colour-code his M&Ms for him any day.
V: Same. Jonathan’s is a mind that I would pay good money to peek inside. Those knits please. If Milan was telling us to get back to the office then Jonathan was like “no babe, my cardigans are meant for WFH”.
K: Do you mind if I quickly segue to another designer? It’s Schiaparelli.
V: PLEASE.
K: It’s like Daniel Roseberry was this close to reaching peak high-fashion excellence à la Anderson, but this show just… he failed. We talk about moments all the time, but this collection was absolutely NOT giving! I liked the lobster skirt, though. The keyhole details were also cute. Overall, not my cup of tea.
V: ‘My job is beach’ comes to mind with this collection. Not a fan.
K: Remember that lion collection with Kylie? Wait, is she a Schiap girlie now? And isn’t she with Acne? They’re everywhere. And their insistence on staying relevant is… something.
V: Trust Kendall to also rob Claudia of her Martian Girl meme. That family [Kardashian / Jenner] are literally the fruit flies of society, they just won’t f*ck off.
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K: I am dead. Deceased! Also, something about that ‘flies of society’ line just reminded me of when Alexander McQueen banned Victoria Beckham from wearing his clothes. He never missed an opportunity to be sassy!
V: Ha! Core memory unlocked. I wonder if she regrets this era or just accepts it? Either way that’s time VB is never getting back.
K: What’s even crazier about this story is that he allegedly banned Victoria because he thought she was ‘stupid’. And then when she wore a tartan skirt from his fall 2006 collection, Lee said something along the lines of “David can wear my clothes but she can’t.” Messy!
V: Talking again of McQueen…
Sarah Burton debuted her final collection on September 30th. We witnessed this moment in history via Instagram Live and yes, we were just as emotional as Naomi, who closed the show with fabulous wavy hair (Diana Ross vibes) and a Joan of Arc meets disco diva ensemble that screamed ‘Move bish! I’m on my way to the Renaissance world tour’.
Burton’s distinctive tailoring reflected the effortless elegance of womanhood. The collection was not only a tribute to Britishness, but also to her dear friend, Lee.
K: I’ll admit that I wasn’t a fan of her recent collections - you could tell she had almost given too much of herself to the brand, and to Lee’s legacy. But the fact that she was able to successfully commercialise Alexander McQueen, with the brand’s integrity still intact, is a huge triumph. To Sarah Burton, I say, a job well done!
V: I couldn’t agree more. This collection was her mic drop moment. Absolute kudos to her.