The glitzy Valentino show brings Paris Fashion Week to life

Seated VIP guests were sweating in the Le Marais venue as they waited for the event to start an hour late. Screaming members of the public outside braved the rain for hours just to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars, including Zendaya, Naomi Campbell, Florence Pugh, Erykah Badu and Ashley Park.

Such a frenzy over Paris ready-to-wear is reminiscent of the French capital’s pre-pandemic fashion scene — and one more visible sign that the industry is reviving after the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are some highlights from the Sunday-Summer 2023 collections in Paris:

The revelation of Valentino

“Cuts and transparencies reveal the man,” says designer Pierpaolo Piccioli’s sparkling spring collection.

Models whose faces and necks were completely covered in disturbingly intertwined “V” make-up kicked off the show introducing the reveal theme.

The exploration of both inside-out and back-to-front continues on model Anna Cleveland with diaphanous pleats paired with matching nude pants over a beautiful nude skin-like top.

The coat had an ostrich feather protruding from the inside. The sides of some of the dresses were flared out, a gorgeous purple stitched floor-length dress that only showed the model’s flesh at the back.

However, at times it felt as if the acclaimed Italian designer tried to fit in too much. At Dress No. 91, it also felt exhausting – as fashion reporters tried to wrap up the show.

Valentino’s finale was the true highlight of the event, which was broadcast live: the models didn’t even pass the usual seated guests but cheered the crowd straight outside, leaving some inside feeling overwhelmed.

Rain on Givenchy’s PARADE

Rain is normally a good thing in the green groves of the Jardin des Plantes, a garden in central Paris.

For the Givenchy outdoor runway, it was a different story.

VIP guests, including Olivia Rodrigo, survived the downpour only with helpers carrying clear umbrellas. But the show had to go on. Thanks to designer Matthew M.

For spring, the US designer has moved the streetwear aesthetic in a dressier direction – perhaps trying to bring himself back to the safe ground of old house traditional aesthetics. It had some success.

An oversized tweed bolero cuts a creatively defined silhouette over a pencil-thin mini skirt, draped in matrix-style shades. Elsewhere, features like swoosh over a silk top, or folds over a flowing skirt, thick organic sinew or human ribs.

This house immortalized by Audrey Hepburn’s LBD felt like a nice, gently infectious, direction.

However, many of Williams’ designs still felt uninspired on the haute Paris runways, such as ’90s low-rise cargo shorts, clashing with a black silk caftan.

The art of the invitation

The art of whimsical banqueting is still an integral part of the Parisian luxury industry.

Small pieces of art sometimes give a hint of what the collection will contain; Other times, they’re just polite.

Balenciaga’s spring invitation was – inexplicably – a genuine used leather bag containing genuine French franc notes, a health insurance card, a photo of a pet cat and credit cards, as well as other spills. Countless videos of surprised guests opening their “invites” have surfaced on social media.

“But how do you know how to get to the show?” asked a fashion expert. he shouted.

Valentino’s invitation was a sleek black cube that opened with nothing but a QR code. Meanwhile, Chanel’s Kristen Stewart face was such a big card that it couldn’t fit in letterboxes.

Barbara Bui is smart.

Low-key French designer Barbara Bui is a good example of how the pandemic is affecting the fashion industry – for better or for worse.

Many homes have gone digital during the lockdowns, opting to screen a fashion film instead of hosting a show that has been banned for months. This spring’s Paris season – like Milan – the industry seems to have returned very much to pre-pandemic runways, yet Bui was one of the collections that continued in the fashion film format.

It’s a smart move: Small houses like the Bui have benefited from the new flexibility.

The collection’s spring video featured a pair of lovers in a French country house looking for each other and seemingly wearing each other’s clothes – a perfect theme for a joint fashion show.

The film’s use of light can range from the fluidity of a loose white tuxedo over his bare chest or a multi-colored foulard casually draped over a male model’s bare shoulders. A cobalt blue one-shoulder piece is set in a metallic and androgynous nail polish for men.

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