The supernatural and escapism emerged as recurring design elements throughout Haute Couture week. Interpreted in a wide variety of ways and yet unmistakable in their nuances, many designers created parallel worlds that reconsidered design approaches and conveyed clear messages.
Schiaparelli – the mystical, the majestic and the unspeakable
The Schiaparelli collection provided a promising start to Haute Couture Fashion Week on Monday morning.
On the catwalk, Schiaparelli presented clear silhouettes that refrained from the usual couture elements of flowing volumes and iridescent colors. Daniel Roseberry, creative director at Schiaparelli, created all 23 looks in the collection exclusively in black, white and gold. He himself describes his approach as a “return to the elementary”. The collection showed an afterlife that expressed a desire for refuge in a different reality than that of recent years. Simply cut black robes were enhanced with golden elements that transformed the models into supernatural figures.
The first ideas for the collection came to Roseberry a year earlier in April. It was a time when Roseberry pondered the role of fashion and how Schiaparelli’s surrealism fit into a time when reality itself seemed unreal. For the spring 2022 collection, he asked himself why – why do we love fashion and what motivates designers to keep coming up with new creations? He points to the incomparable harmony that fashion can create and the importance of the silent message behind his designs. “It’s about how fashion, when done right, can help us feel the unspeakable. Because she still has the power to move us.”
Chanel – Of horses, joy and spring awakening
Chanel’s third couture show, directed by Virginie Viard, was for the first time less stage-like than is usual for the French fashion house. The show was shown in the Grand Palais Éphèmère, in which the contemporary artist Xavier Veilhan created an elliptical landscape that was vaguely reminiscent of a riding arena.
The looks of the collection appeared as fresh and playful versions of classic Chanel elements. When creating the collection, Viard was also inspired by a carefree supernatural – and thus picked up on the general trend towards escapism. The collection featured a range of looks ranging from tweed pantsuits to delicate tulle dresses with the signature Chanel camellia. Ruffles and flounces created a lovely charm that was broken up again by clearly cut collared jackets.
The opening of the show in particular caused divided opinions. Before the models, many of whom were longtime muses and acquaintances of the house, floated down the runway in the couture dresses, brand ambassador and professional equestrian Charlotte Casiraghi rode a horse through the parkour created by Veilhan. An appearance that led to discussions about animal welfare.
Dior – the focus on craftsmanship
The Dior show on the second day of Haute Couture week surprised with a fresh approach. The opening look consisted of a transparent body that was covered all over in fine embroidery and opaque fishnet tights whose diamonds were strewn with lurex-like glitter threads.
The 64 looks of the collection featured a silhouette that was unusually simple for Dior. Through narrow, flowing shapes, the creations became moving canvases for shimmering, silver and gold embroidery and glittering applications. The color palette of the collection also deviated from the usual cheerfulness of Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director at Dior Femme. Sheer fabrics in shades of grey, white and beige gave the creations the appearance of being embroidered directly onto the bodies. Some of the designs were made entirely as embroidery, without using an additional fabric underlay.
The show showcased Chiuri’s focus on the craftsmanship involved in the creation process of haute couture dresses. With the show, Chiuri processed an important message: “It is very important to talk about the craft. It is crucial to haute couture. We must show the link between artistic and craft work, since in some countries, such as Italy or India, the latter is considered less important”.
Charles de Vilmorin – a feverish dance with the underworld
Charles de Vilmorin’s digital presentation on Wednesday immersed viewers in an imaginative, chilling subworld. Using a short film, the young designer told the story of his own career. In one night, his younger self goes from a boy who secretly stays up late to a designer of theatrical creations that are whirled by skeletons in a dance through the night – as the film’s name “La Danse Macabre” describes.
The ten looks are vaguely reminiscent of costume creations from Tim Burton films. The scenes and narrative also showed parallels to Burton’s films “Corpse Bride” and “Alice in Wonderland”. Baroque-era silhouettes and liberal use of sequins and feathers give the collection a clear nod to ‘camp’ – an overarching term that can be defined as an appreciation for the aesthetic of bad taste and irony.
Vilmorin, who only graduated in design in April 2021, launched his eponymous label during the pandemic – a personal anecdote that is also reflected in the film’s plot. The little boy creates haute couture dresses from his own bedroom with just one sewing machine. His biggest inspiration is his own imagination.
Jean Paul Gaultier – creations for the avant-garde
Glenn Martens, who created this year’s collection as a guest designer at Jean Paul Gaultier, also used the stylistic device of theatricality. His creations reflected the search for the supernatural in an innovative way in haute couture.
Using voluminous draping and material combinations, the guest designer created creations that contained classic Jean Paul Gaultier elements such as corset shapes and striped designs. At the same time, Martens put these elements in an extraterrestrial light through surreal details. Highlights of the collection included two designs with metal spurs. In a metaphorical way, a isolation from the real environment can be seen in these designs – an attempt to make oneself untouchable in the face of the pandemic-related developments of recent years.
Monochrome, sculptural robes and enveloping tulle veils made the models appear like rulers of distant planets. The 36 looks of the collection combined the self-confidence and drama that Jean Paul Gaultier is known for with a touch of science fiction.
