The term “Haute Couture” can be traced back to 1908, but it was not until 1945 that the current specifications of Le Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture were established. To be accepted, a design house must have an atelier in Paris employing at least 20 full-time technical staff and present a collection of at least 50 original designs to the public twice a year, in January and July. Although couture is only for the very rich, as always, this season has been full of inspirational looks that will no doubt have an impact on other areas of fashion.
1. The big reveal
Eye-catching red carpet gowns
It’s been 10 years since Angelina Jolie bare a leg in a high-slit Atelier Versace dress at the Oscars – an unforgettable moment. The slit leg dress is a perennial trend on the red carpet. Several design houses featured dresses slit up to the thighs on the SS22 couture catwalks. At Chanel, it was a fitted satin slip dress with a center slit; Zuhair Murad’s striped blue dress had an off-the-shoulder silhouette and a tulip skirt, and Valentino’s black one-shoulder dress had a side slit to reveal a pair of tights. Tony Ward’s turquoise ball gown had a side slit revealing heavily embellished footless stockings.
2. She’s wearing the pants
Eye-catching: tailor-made looks
Couture has as much to do with bespoke tailoring as with flowing evening dresses. Among the variety of daywear on display this time, a few two piece pant suits stood out. At Christian Dior it was an earth gray version; a fitted jacket with a concealed button placket worn over straight-leg pants. Ulyana Sergeenko showed off pleated trousers with a matching two button blazer adorned with large corsets and white gloves. A baggy version in hot pink with a matching bralette top was seen at Valentino and Chanel showed off a tweed two-piece with baggy trousers over a fitted jacket.
3. A walk to the altar
The influence on the bridal fashion market
Couture is known for having a major impact on the bridal market and S/S22 was no exception. Traditional versions of the wedding dress have been featured at Julien Fournié, Rami Kadi and Zuhair Murad. Chanel’s wedding dress was reminiscent of the 1920s; a slim, low-waisted slip dress was shown with the type of headdress popular at the time. Y/Project and Diesel designer Glenn Martens was invited to present designs from the Jean Paul Gaultier archives. His wedding dress was a real eye-catcher.
4. An intimate moment
The impact on the lingerie and hosiery market
As already mentioned, slit dresses were complemented with flashy stockings. Black stockings peeked out from under short dresses at Valentino. Dior’s fishnet stockings were lavishly embellished with crystals and Fendi’s had vine-like leaves snaking up and down black stockings. Bodysuits and tights, often heavily decorated, were featured at Dior, Zuhair Murad, Alexis Mabille and On Aura Tout Vu.
5. Anatomy of Couture
The Impact on Diversity and Inclusion
According to his show notes, designer Pierpaolo Piccioli “imagined this anatomy of the Valentino couture collection not on a single idealized house model, but on a multitude of women with different physiques and ages.” The aim was to “create a canon that reflects the richness and diversity of today’s world and promotes an idea of beauty that is not absolute.”
At almost 60 years supermodel Kristen McMenamy opened the show. Other runway veterans such as Mariacarla Boscono, Anna Ewers, Lara Stone and Marie Sophie Wilson walked the runway. Curvy model Jill Kortleve was joined by up-and-comers Levie Hsieh, Antoinette Walford, Nyangath Lual and Apollo Yom. All in all, the impression was that the fashion houses wanted to bring a refreshingly modern edge to couture, a reflection of different female body types and the age range found in the real world of fashion.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ