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 from the spring-summer 2023 collections in Paris on Saturday:
THE SUBTLE STRINGS OF HERMES
It was the solitary crystal, the pulsating brilliant color, that brought home the key idea of the Hermes collection: simplicity is powerful.
Utilitarian features like levers and weird box platforms were used subtly but with aplomb. Tan suede tunic minidresses sported pleated leather hems, showcased without jewelry on a makeup-free model. Vanhee-Cybulski sometimes seemed to be doing an edgy take on the ’80s.
Exposed midriffs latticed with laces and toggles became lean, otherwise plain silhouettes.
It brought a sporty, outer space feel to the stripped-down collection.
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.