PARIS –
A giant, glittering crystal rock on a sand-colored carpet evoked a glamorous alien planet for Hermes’s VIP champagne-drinking guests.
Earthy tones such as browns, reds and yellows – colors long associated with the traditional brand – were used in Saturday’s show to create Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski’s utilitarian, understated yet exuberant universe for spring.
Elsewhere, Ukraine’s top fashion designers used the Paris Fashion Week platform to promote their war-torn industry.
Here are some highlights of the spring-summer 2023 collections of the day in Paris:
THE SUBTLE STRINGS OF HERMES
It was a minimalist take on Vanhee-Cybulski from the ’80s.
The solitary pulsating crystal that shimmered with color from the center of the runway established the key idea of the collection: simplicity is powerful.
As the show took off, odd utilitarian features like button-downs and the strange and unnerving stomping box-platform shoes were used subtly but with aplomb.
He lent a sporty, outer-space feel to the collection’s sleek, almost empty restraint, a mood that now defines the talented 44-year-old French designer’s repertoire.
Tan suede tunic minidresses sported beautiful braided leather hems, displayed without jewelry on a makeup-free model. Meanwhile, exposed stomachs latticed with ropes and levers became lean, otherwise plain silhouettes.
UKRAINE’S ‘GOOD SIX’ DESIGNERS SHOW THE UNITED FRONT
Last season in Paris, the Ukrainian designers’ trade show took place just two days before Russia’s invasion amid stories of some artists fleeing the country so quickly they had only their children and their collection in hand.
This season sees no improvement at home for the industry: it has been hit by heightened financial strains as designers struggle to keep staff employed despite tight money, declining demand and shattered supply chains. .
A collective of these surviving designers is on display in Paris from Saturday through October 6.
Jen Sidary, director of the collective, said “in my 30 years of working in the fashion industry, I have never witnessed the resilience of a country and its people when they began to focus on keeping their businesses alive, days after the war. , of the bomb”. shelters to design new collections amid constant sirens of air raids”.
The six that make up the Paris Fashion Week event (Frolov, Kachorovska, Chereshnivska, Litkovska, My Sleeping Gypsy and Oliz) showcase unisex clothing, footwear and scarves. It is an attempt to keep their devastated industry alive and a form of resistance against the Russian bombs decimating their homeland.
Many of his colleagues in Ukraine have had to refocus their operations to help the war effort, relocating within the country, according to Sidary.
The courage of the Ukrainian fashion industry has attracted international attention.
USAID Project Manager Natalia Petrova spoke about the “remarkable resilience, commitment and awareness” of Ukrainian companies since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Domestic market disruptions caused by declining population demand and broken supply chains are pushing companies to explore export opportunities to diversify their sales,” he added.
ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
Kink met art in Kronthaler’s typically flamboyant fare, a staple show in which a fashion surprise is almost expected.
In his usual encyclopedic style, Kronthaler wove an aesthetic of yesteryear—medieval and Renaissance nobles and peasants—into his heavy silhouettes. The guests almost felt as if they were in the theater.
Juliette sleeves mixed with black renaissance tarbuds, decorated collars, and even an extravagant yet elegant blue loose tuxedo style that could have been worn by the Bard himself. Of course, Kronthaler accessorized it anachronistically with light blue striped rugby socks. Added to the creative cauldron are chunky Glam Rock boots and a Highlands kilt style with white trim on the male model’s nether regions, making it look like they could have taken a frontal bite.
The opening image of Irina Shayk, often voted among the most beautiful models in the world, in a shiny black bustier and S&M-style silver ring earrings is sure to be an image that few will quickly forget.
ELIE SAAB REVISITES THE 60S
The late 1960s received a facelift on Saturday in a collection that included babydoll dresses, miniskirts, psychedelia, crop tops and jabot collars, but it never lost that airy, contemporary Saab touch.
Saab’s first look at her Paris fashion show fused an angelic ’60s white crop top and long skirt with an ethnic look, thanks to an interlocking motif construction. This fusion of different eras continued throughout the show, which she submitted 68 items to.
Lace details were a big theme and became the front of a loose pale tracksuit top. In an anachronism that defined this Saab springtime aesthetic, it was worn alongside a sheer tulle skirt from the 1990s. It had a lot of swag and could very well have been seen at a music festival in that decade.
Flashes of Barbie pink and citrus contrasted with psychedelic stripes on the column silhouettes, sometimes giving the impression that Saab was trying to throw too much into the mix. The collection was ultimately difficult to pin down.