Paris Fashion Week AW 23: All the Highlights You Need to Catch Up On

The fourth day of Paris Fashion Week was ‘eventful’ with a packed schedule of runway shows as powerhouse luxury fashion brands continue to present their Autumn/Winter 2023 collections. The day saw Gabriela Hearst bringing sustainability to the Chloé show, Givenchy celebrating feminine fare on the runway, Rick Owens travelling to the former pharaonic stronghold in the modern Egyptian city of Luxor, and much more. Here are all the highlights you need to know and the best looks from yesterday’s shows at Paris Fashion Week AW 23.

Off-White

Off-White: Vogue Runway

If last season was a reflection on accomplishments and a celebration of all that was, this season was effectively Kamara’s first fully authored mainline show at Off-White. On a trip back to Big Wharf Ibrahim Kamara drew references from his humble beginnings: rain-rusted corrugated roofs influence color palettes, and West African motifs are reinterpreted to conjure a new vision of indigenous civilizations. The Off-Whit Blue in all its intimate power remains a point of reference with its humanity and vulnerability. Worldbuilding is an integral part of the process that engages in an unshakeable childlike whimsy. This season, logic is evaded in favor of an imagination with little to no limits. This collection envisions the future. Though sci-fi inspired, it doesn’t follow ageing tropes. It is not about costuming or recreating.

Chloé

Chloé: Vogue Runway

Gabriela Hearst is known for her philosophy of designing elegant wearable clothes presented in a minimal setting and with her commitment and real passion for sustainability at the forefront. Inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi, the pioneering 17th-century female painter, flattering scooped out shoulder details, long thick statement coats and flared textured pants were among standout garments that felt at once modern and historic. The collection primarily sticks to black, browns and creamy shades of white, to emphasize each look’s rich materiality. It helps tie together the various ways one can be feminine; in a suit, in a leather bomber and midi-skirt set, in a knit cape dress. The collection also conveys the timelessness of the designs.

Givenchy

Givenchy: Vogue Runway

For the Fall-Winter 2023 Women’s Collection, Givenchy investigates a generational sophistication through reconsidered classical compositions. A new elegance, a contemporary study of glamor and a re-contextualisation of archetypes. The reflection on a new elegance takes shape in a balance between the new and the old: silhouettes, constructions and styling informed by the past but adapted for the present. Defined by magnified volumes, tailoring cuts a strong shoulder with a softly nipped-in waist achieved without constriction. Black coats developed in the haute couture atelier are crafted in satin, tricotine, cashmere or mohair and sculpted with inverted pleats either at the back or with buttons at the waist. Suit jackets structured in the same silhouette appear with sheer underpinnings only, observing a contemporary evocation of a mini dress.

Rick Owens

Rick Owens: Vogue Runway

“Egypt and the pyramids hold an exotic mystery and magic. Also, just the monumentalism, just the hugeness, the mysticism, the pureness, the legend, how they dealt with death,” said Owens. “Being in Egypt, there is a disconnect between the world and my silly concerns, and my silly comforts. Egypt is a crudeness and sophistication, it is timelessness. When you’re there, the sense of history is so much bigger than when you’re in Paris. It’s just grander, that sense of history.” Owens is passionate about Ancient Egypt which was highlighted even further in this show which was titled “Luxor”. The models featured his take on the era. Or rather, it showcases how women can dress today “to walk among the gods.” First, they would pull on their armor—Rick Owens over-the-knee leather boots. Then, they would wrap their bodies in thin fabric or voluminous puffer clothes covered in pink sequins. Shoulders jut upwards as if about to burst with wings. Trailing behind, cloth that reminds of a mummy’s shroud. That symbol of passage into the other world.

Schiaparelli

Schiaparelli: Vogue Runway

Elegance and quirkiness walked hand in hand at the Schiaparelli show. Sleek designs (mostly in black) were elevated through the use of unexpected elements, such as buttons in the shape of key holes, or beautiful necklaces sculpted as golden oyster shells. Not surprising, as Daniel Roseberry has been consistently proving that everything he touches turns into gold. It was also refreshing to witness a show were glamour was fully embraced, not only in the choice of rich fabrics such as velted and faux fur trims, but also with the hairstyle of the models, sleek and acessorized with an XL band under, turbans, or with glorious Hollywood diva waves. Press play the check out the collection.