Everything you missed from Paris Fashion Week

What?

Off-White’s maximalist gameplay for AW24.

Game play?

Well, it was clear from the moment the invitation to the show – an actual game, dice included – arrived at the hotel that creative director Ib Kamara was feeling playful this season, something that was even more apparent when setting foot in the showspace that featured two gigantic diamonté encrusted dice center stage.

What about the clothes?

In his show notes, Kamara spoke about being born in Sierra Leone, raised in London and living, and working, in the world – and it’s this dot-to-dot journey between cultures and geographic locations that permeated the collection titled Black By Popular Demand. Think: soft menswear and fierce womenswear that mixed and matched references, from basketball silhouettes and preppy rugby polos, to lavish fur coats, beaded dresses and silk pieces that swathed the body. Kamara spoke about the fact that he’s not a minimalist backstage, so this maximalist collection was just what the doctor ordered.

Who was there?

An A‑list front row that included former FACE cover star Halle Bailey and Willow Smith who were seat mates for the occasion, spotted shoulder-to-shoulder dancing to the Beyoncé track that soundtracked the finale of the show.

What?

Courrèges’ AW24 show – always a serene start to a jam-packed day of shows.

Serene, you say?

Surprisingly, yes. Courrèges’ SS23 showspace centered around a spatial-art installation devised by Théo Mercier which simulated sand funnelling into a growing hole in the centre of the space which had guests mesmerised, and this season’s set was equally as arresting. The message? It was about taking a moment to breathe, literally. The all-white, moving runway, conjured by artist Rémy Brière, and creative polymaths Matière Noire, appeared to be taking a deep inhale, counting to six, and letting it all out again, whilst the soundtrack encouraged guests to ​“take it slow”. Sadly Shazam delivered no results, but that didn’t stop the earworm from looping in my head for the rest of the week.

What about the clothes?

A lesson in sleek sophistication. Artistic director Nicolas Di Felice’s brand of cool realness is what’s been powering the label back to cult status in recent years, and this collection is no exception. A study of both symmetry and sensuality, the silhouettes in the collection explored the infinite potential of primary shapes whilst details like latex footwear, lingerie finishings
and leather pin-up bras added the kind of sexy undertones that many of us strive to inject into our wardrobes, myself included. Elsewhere, feather appliqué details mimicked the texture of goosebumps, as seen standing upright on dresses and sheer skirts, whilst blindfold-inspired sunglasses added a kick of kink.

Who was there?

All the Courrèges girlies! We bumped into FACE cover star Charli XCX, Hari Nef, Em Rata and Emma Chamberlain saying hello to Nicolas backstage.

We heard there was an afterparty, too?

Of course! Courrèges knows how to do a rager best. This one took place in now-defunct discotheque La Main Jaune, with the likes of Charli XCX and Hari Nef in attendance.

What?

Acne Studios’ AW24 show staged in a stark white space featuring two gigantic rubber chairs – the large-scale sculptures of Estonian artist Villu Jaanisoo which had been crafted from recycled tyres. These bulbous black silhouettes signposted a collection that was rooted in toughness, resistance and inner resilience.

Tell us more…

This season played out as something of a futuristic uniform – one that we’re desperate to invest in. From second-skin leathers to raw denim pieces, the collection went big on what Acne does best, whilst juxtaposing femininity and raw sexuality with a tough, unwavering attitude. As creative director Jonny Johansson explained after the show, ​“I’ve always related to clothing through subcultural movements. Denim and leather can transcend genre and subcultures – from punk to S&M. When you want to feel tough you gravitate towards leather and denim; it’s like armour. It always feels right. An empowering safety zone.” We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

In a song?

Eartheater — Pure Smile Snake Venom

What?

Casablanca’s playful AW24 show titled ​“Venus As A Boy” – a nod to creative director Charaf Tajer’s timelong love for Björk – that centered around reimagination, re-contextualization and the intersection between the then and the now.

Tell us more…

Despite the surrounding setting of Paris’ Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione, Tajer turned his eye towards ancient Greece this season – specifically its art, architecture, philosophy and sartorial codes, as seen in the draping and wrapping techniques used in the tailoring and the blanket coats that engulfed the bodies of their wearers. Elsewhere, the collection featured a collaboration with artist Jeff Hamilton – whose embroidered leather jackets are a sports staple – who designed two embroidered patchwork leather jackets to mark the occasion.

In a song:

Björk’s Venus As A Boy, of course!

What?

Anthony Vaccarello’s AW24 Saint Laurent show which took place in a showspace comprised of two circular rooms, in which guests – the likes of Monica Bellucci, Linda Evangelista, Iris Law, Lila Moss and Nadia Lee Cohen – watched from black leather De Sede DS-600 Canape sofas, while the house’s Black Opium fragrance hung heavy in the air. This was by far the chicest seating situation of the season.

What about the clothes?

Vaccarello’s line-up of looks was almost totally transparent. A lesson in unapologetic sex appeal, models were swathed in nude fabrics resembling sheer undergarments, close-fitting silk dresses, and ​“naked” gowns that referenced the dress worn by Marilyn Monroe for her last public appearance. These almost invisible clothes simultaneously revealed and concealed the woman wearing them, like human X‑rays marching through the space. But it was about protection, too, strong women whose outward lightness turns out to be an illusion. Just like the fabrics, really – the delicate properties of tights-like materials were defied on the runway as these dresses and blouses are sure not to be laddering anytime soon (well, you’d be pretty pissed off if they did!). Meanwhile, the few tailored pieces in the collection were equally as fluid, from a series of suits that appeared to liquify the body, to a coat covered in delicate marabou feathers that pulsated in motion with the models.

In a song:

Cigarettes After Sex — Each Time You Fall In Love

What?

Jun Takahashi’s quietly disruptive AW24 showcase that stopped fashion week goers in their tracks with a moment of calm and introspection.

Tell us more…

Well, it’s rare that a fashion show provides something so opposite to the hustle and bustle that surrounds it. Staged in the simple, understated setting of a school hall, Undercover’s AW24 show ruminated on the struggles of everyday life with a voiceover, titled ​“Watching a Working Woman”, that painted the picture of a 40-year-old single mother working at a law firm with a son she liked to hang out with in the park and at the cinema. The show was inspired by German director Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days, a strangely captivating film about a Tokyo toilet cleaner whose routined lifestyle involves driving a small van from one public convenience to the next. Just as this toilet cleaner finds beauty in the everyday on screen, Takahashi’s cast of women wore looks that meandered from simple everyday staples (good jeans, crisp white T‑shirt, practical anorak), to trophy outerwear pieces and denim jeans with tinsel trims, for those days when you want things to be a little less ordinary.

Of note:

Genius accessories such as an Undercover baguette carrier, flower holders, reusable shopping bags and yoga mat cases – all things to make those everyday rituals that little bit sweeter, without causing a fuss.

In a song?

Lou Reed — Perfect Day

What?

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s latest Dior show which took place in the French megabrand’s usual show space, a gigantic Dior box erected in the Jardin des Tuileries, this time filled with

Tell us about the show…

It’s safe to say that Chiuri took a theme and ran with it this season, and that starting point was Miss Dior. The words were plastered over clothes in a hand-written graphic font said to have been lifted from an archival logo designed for the launch of a Miss Dior boutique in the late ​‘60s. It’s a transitional period in which women were changing the way they dressed, and it’s the A‑line skirts, cinched-in waists and sleek maxi silhouettes of the era that appeared on Chiuri’s moodboard this season. Except all this played out in a looser, more laid-back, liberated fashion – something that underpins Chiuri’s work.

Of note:

The Sixties-leaning miniskirt sets teamed with polo neck sweaters, patent over-the-knee boots and lashings of gold jewellery.

In a song?

Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg – Je t’aime moi non plus

What?

Korean label EENK’s Parisian debut, staged at the Palais de Tokyo in a darkened space, illuminated by low-hung mirrors and reflective stainless steel surfaces.

Tell us more about the brand…

The brainchild of designer Lee Hyemee, EENK draws inspiration from her globetrotting adventures and her passion for art – both themes which play out in the label’s DNA and its timeless wardrobe packed with pieces that defy the never ending spiral of trends.

What about the clothes?

The all-monochrome collection centered around textured layers, cocoon coats and pinstripe suiting that made a strong case for a totally two-tone wardrobe. Treating the body as a canvas, Hyemee’s silhouettes were sculptural, snatched and statuesque: a shaggy sandy-toned shearling dress, cinched in at the waist; an ivory silk box-pleat shirt paired with a stiff, crumpled skirt; wide-leg black velvet pants pulled up high at the waist with a contrasting cream fur top. Tactile clothes to tickle the senses.

In a word?

Dj Rui Da Silva — Touch Me

What?

Patric DiCaprio and Bryn Taubensee’s riotous AW24 Vaquera collection titled Money.

Money, you say?

Yes, as ABBA famously once sang: money, money, money.

Tell us more…

Well, this season DiCaprio and Taubensee had been thinking about social currency, or as they explained backstage, ​“the types of currency the fashion industry values. Is it money? Is it cold hard cash? Is it sexuality? Is it followers?” It’s questions such as these that informed the duo’s own currency this season: killer clothes that people are desperate to wear.

What were they like?

Well, all this played out as a series of custom Vaquera dollar bill printed pieces – from mesh tops and dresses, to ties and cummerbunds – and clothes that explored the currency of sexuality: cone bras, titty twister T‑shirts, leather chaps and more. And for those special occasions – extravagant cocktail dresses, puffball skirts dripping in sequins, trophy faux-fur coats and a stand-out, sailor-cum-bridal dress that closed the show.

In a song?

Text Message Breakup, the mid-2000s YouTube skit from fictional pop star Kelly – aka American comedian Liam Kyle Sullivan – which soundtracked the show.