Every fashion week has its best moments, but Paris is at the heart of sartorial splendor. After New York, London, and Milan, the fashion capital has been bustling with talented designers as well as A-list celebrities. From freezing cold auditoriums to botanical gardens, the spring/summer 2020 was no less than a theatrical journey. Before Paris Fashion Week comes to an end tomorrow, take a look back at some of its best moments so far.
Thom Browne
For spring/summer 2020, designer Thom Browne brought back iconic elements from the 18th century to the 21st century. Browne’s historical garments made their way through a garden of Versailles runway, decorated with white roses, and make-believe birds. As the show began, models walked out in 18th-century hoop skirts, pastel colors, towering wigs, and veiled piles of hair. For Paris Fashion Week, the American designer took inspiration from the prominent French style before the revolution in 1789. The heavy metal music contrasted with the Marie Antoinette-inspired looks, as models carried little straw boating hats, Oxford wedges, and frocks, which embodied classic French royalty with a twist.
Christian Dior
Marking the beginning of Paris Fashion Week, Dior‘s botanical runway is still on the minds of fashion folks. Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri paid tribute to sustainability and the beloved ecosystem with the help of Paris-based environmental design collective Coloco. Conjuring a garden, models walked through a woodland of 160 free-standing trees, which will be planted in projects around the city. Drawing inspiration from nature and diversity, Chiuri’s spring/summer 2020 collection was also influenced by Catherine Dior, sister of Christian, who was an acclaimed gardener and botanist. Dior pulled a selection of straw sun hats, textured raffia dresses, and floral-pieces, to reinvigorate the sustainability movement.
Saint Laurent
This season, Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello sent his latest collection amid automated crossbeams of lights. Saint Laurent’s presentation focused on his Le Smokings and the hippie deluxe Russian collection, featuring Western boots, tailored jackets, and mini-shorts. When Stella Tennant led all the timeless tuxedo suits, there was a dramatic pause, and the lights went down. The suspense built up as the lights rose again and supermodel Naomi Campbell stepped out in the French house’s iconic piece – black sequined blazer jacket and matching pants – to close the spring/summer 2020 show.
Issey Miyake
Fashion houses preparing for their debut should take inspiration from Japanese brand Issey Miyake. Creative director Satoshi Kondo’s innovative vision has left a prominent mark in the history of Paris Fashion Week. He showcased his spring/summer 2020 collection as the pieces floated down from the ceilings onto models, who were wearing nude-colored garments. The choreographed models were twirling, skate-boarding, running, and skipping, making fashion fun. Additionally, the voluminous, colorful, and bouncy dresses, definitely made the crowd want to join the fashion party.
Balenciaga
Founded in Spain, Balenciaga has always challenged the ‘norms’ of fashion. But for the spring/summer 2020 show in Paris, creative director Demna Gvasalia pushed fashion, as well as the audience’s limits. The amphitheater was redecorated with a spiraling runway and painted entirely blue – from the ceilings to the chairs – to match the European parliament in Strasbourg. As celebrities entered Balenciaga’s set, they were intrigued, and then they probably pulled out their jackets. The luxury fashion house dropped the temperatures, unlike any other fashion show, to push the audience out of their comfort zones. Gvasalia had created a political arena to display his larger than life pieces walk down the runway, while a thrash metal soundtrack played in the background. A fusion between democrats and fashion, Gvasalia’s diverse collection included notable graphics, modern tailoring, and standout ballroom gowns.
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