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Couture Week Comes to Paris amid Riot Fears

From Schiaparelli's show in July 2022. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File
From Schiaparelli's show in July 2022. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File
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Couture Week Comes to Paris amid Riot Fears

From Schiaparelli's show in July 2022. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File
From Schiaparelli's show in July 2022. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File

The fashion world is on edge as haute couture week kicks off on Monday in Paris, which has seen nights of violent riots over the police killing of a teenager.
French label Celine canceled its menswear show -- scheduled outside the official calendar -- on Sunday due to the riots, with designer Hedi Slimane saying it was "inconsiderate" to hold a fashion show when Paris was "bereaved and bruised".
Hundreds have been arrested across the country as mostly young protesters have torched cars and attacked infrastructure following the death of 17-year-old Nahel M., who was shot dead when he tried to flee a traffic stop on Tuesday.
Violence appeared to be ebbing somewhat in and around the French capital over the weekend, and the haute couture shows -- celebrating the most expensive, tailor-made end of fashion -- were due to go ahead as planned, the French fashion federation told AFP on Sunday.
First up is Schiaparelli, with fashionistas wondering if it can beat the social media meltdown caused by last season's fake animal heads.
The heads, sported by the likes of Kylie Jenner, were another publicity coup for Schiaparelli artistic director Daniel Roseberry, who has overseen a revamp of the brand and attracted the likes of Lady Gaga and Beyonce as clients.
Animal activists seemed unsure what to think.
The US branch of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) called the heads "fabulously innovative", while PETA's French branch said a thought should be spared for the silkworms and sheep "who have really suffered".
Couture week will see first-time appearances by the United States' Thom Browne and France's Charles de Vilmorin alongside regulars like Christian Dior.
De Vilmorin, just 26, will present for his own brand after a short-lived tenure as artistic director of Rochas.
"I'm super happy to have lived through all this and to do my first show," he told AFP in his apartment-workshop last week while finalizing the collection.
Fellow couturier Stephane Rolland is presenting his latest collection, dedicated to legendary singer Maria Callas, at the Opera Garnier.
It will be filmed by veteran French director Claude Lelouch for his next movie.
Rolland said it was vital to merge fashion and other art forms.
"It's very important in our profession. I find that from time to time it lacks a bit of refinement. Money is not everything," he told AFP.

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Fashion

Chanel Goes to the Opera in a Gleaming but Designer-Less Couture Collection

A model presents a creation by the creative studio of fashion house Chanel as part of their Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024-2025 collection show in Paris, France, June 25, 2024. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation by the creative studio of fashion house Chanel as part of their Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024-2025 collection show in Paris, France, June 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Chanel Goes to the Opera in a Gleaming but Designer-Less Couture Collection

A model presents a creation by the creative studio of fashion house Chanel as part of their Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024-2025 collection show in Paris, France, June 25, 2024. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation by the creative studio of fashion house Chanel as part of their Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024-2025 collection show in Paris, France, June 25, 2024. (Reuters)

The show must go on, with aplomb. Chanel’s latest couture display Tuesday was a finely executed collection channeling theatricality.

Few Parisian fashion houses can fill the Paris Opera and gain applause from Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and other luminaries without even having a designer. It's a testament to Chanel’s enduring power and its world-renowned atelier following Virginie Viard's abrupt exit on June 5.

Here are some highlights of the fall couture displays:

Chanel's opulence

Guests clutching Chanel opera glasses got happily lost as they explored marble staircases to find a stage in the Opera’s outer corridors, filled with red velvet opera boxes designed by French movie director Christophe Honoré. The stage was set with silhouettes evoking the opera and its heyday: dramatic capes, puffed sleeves and richly embroidered pieces.

The designs’ gleam rivaled only that of the sumptuous 19th-century atrium itself, with shimmering buttons and brilliant threads reflecting the light.

There were moments of drama, with guests reaching for their cameras to capture a black gown with puff sleeves whose feathers, beading and ribbons gleamed provocatively.

This season, there is a welcome move to less accessorizing, a departure from the hallmark of Viard. The focus was on the garments, highlighting the craftsmanship and luxurious materials. Feathers, tassels, embroidered flowers, precious braids, lacquered jersey, supple tweeds, silky velvet, illusion tulle, taffeta and duchesse satin adorned looks befitting the venue.

Although the necklines were a standout feature, the collection as a whole had a slightly disparate feel that sometimes seemed to lack a singular aesthetic anchor.

Chanel paid tribute to the ateliers of the "petites mains," or the dozens of artisans who work in six ateliers a stone’s throw from the venue.

Without Viard

Viard abruptly left after over 30 years with the brand. The overnight announcement of her departure was highly unorthodox, coming just weeks before the couture show.

Viard succeeded Karl Lagerfeld upon his death in 2019 and was his closest collaborator for almost 30 years. She had overseen record sales for Chanel, reaching a reported $19.7 billion last year. Ready-to-wear sales reportedly increased 23% during her tenure.

Yet in the fickle world of fashion, strong sales are not always enough. Viard’s tenure was dogged by controversy, most recently with criticism of her collections, including a poorly received mid-season show in Marseille. Viard faced backlash for runway shows that critics said lacked the grandiose flair defining Lagerfeld’s era, and she often received critiques for underwhelming design choices.

Though her appointment was initially seen as temporary, she was only the third creative director in Chanel’s over 100-year history after Lagerfeld and, of course, legendary founder Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel.

The fashion world speculates on her successor. Names like Hedi Slimane, Marine Serre and Simon Porte Jacquemus circulate, suggesting potential shifts in Chanel’s creative direction.

Mabille’s toast to glamour

Bubbles are never far away from the effervescent couturier Alexis Mabille.

Unfurling, undressing, and plays on corsetry were on the menu this season, starting with an opening number featuring a gleaming bustier that resembled an opening flower. The intimacy and ritual of getting dressed is a theme that pervades Mabille's work.

Varied looks sometimes surprised guests, such as a Bob Mackie-style feathered headdress that out-Cher-ed Cher. The extravagant piece had an almost equestrian flourish and was a real feat of couture execution, showcasing Mabille’s flair for Hollywood-inspired glamour.

A golden bullet creation, and a gleaming metallic power cape with an armor-like bustier, gave the collection a lot of attitude, if not always coherence. Mabille’s collections often embrace a wide array of silhouettes and themes, sometimes leading to a lack of unified narrative. However, the diversity is also part of his charm.