Read on for all the highlights and best looks from day three of Paris haute couture week spring/summer 2021.
Viktor & Rolf
When Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren found themselves “doomscrolling” a constant reel of pandemic-induced news, they felt the need to build up some resistance – a suit of armor if you like, to combat the depressive onslaught. Cue ‘Haute Fantaisie,’ a “couture rave” of a collection, fun-filled and positive with an infectiously rebellious spirit. The pieces themselves – patch-worked ‘clippy mat’ dresses, jewel-encrusted bra tops, full tulle skirts and colorfully crafty separates – were constructed from upcycled fabrics and scraps from the designers’ own archive. So far, so not couture and yet, at the same time, exactly what couture should be: artfully constructed pieces that people can only dream about. Nods to an 80s era Madonna (fishnet stockings, finger-less gloves) and Ziggy Stardust (punky mullet, kaleidoscopic beauty), hit the message home: in times of trauma, the show must go on.
Fendi
Given that it’s not Kim Jones‘s usual stomping ground, as the pioneer of bridging streetwear and luxury, taking on his first haute couture womenswear collection for Fendi was a marked move for the British designer with an OBE. Paying homage to intelligent leading ladies, inspiration came from the Bloomsbury women, in particular the sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf and how they created art so freely. With a star studded casting, Demi Moore opened the show in an off-the-shoulder black dress, Kate Moss (who has been appointed as a Fendi accessories consultant), and her daughter Lila walked the runway for the first time together and Naomi Campbell closed in an flamboyant silver cape. From satin suiting, floor sweeping opulent tulle capes and the extravagant tailoring, his rich garments brought a sense of much needed escapism.
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