Key Moments From Paris Fashion Week AW21 So Far

Virginie Viard took the Chanel girl gang to the club (Castel, specifically - it one of Karl Lagerfeld’s favourite night spots). Items we're excited to introduce into our post-pandemic wardrobe: trouser suits, long tweed coats, delicate black chiffon blouses, quilted jumpsuits, and faux fur jackets (all styled with signature pearl chains).“I love contrasts, so for the more voluminous winter pieces, I wanted a small space”, said Virgine Viard after the show. "I don’t know if this is because of the times we live in, but I wanted something warm, lively. I imagined the models doing a show for themselves, going from room to room, crossing each other in staircases, piling their coats up in the cloakroom and going up to the next floor to get changed. And I thought of the shows that Karl would tell me about, back in the day, a long time ago, when the models would dress themselves and do their own make-up”.

Gabriela Hearst unveiled her debut collection for Chloé on the day of the Gaby Aghion, the founder of the storied French house’s, 100th Birthday. Models walked the streets of Saint-Germain-des-Près - where Aghion used to present her earliest collections - in knitted dresses, ‘puffcho’ jackets (a poncho-puffer hybrid), and leather patchwork ensembles all made from repurposed fabrics. Other highlights? Upcycled puffer jackets using offcut fabrics from previous collections, and the comeback arm candy du jour of the 00s, the Edith bag. “My first luxury handbag was the Chloé Edith bag,” says Hearst. “And it is a piece I still love and wanted to pay homage to.”

This season, Isabel Marant blended 1980s styles with what she referred to as the ‘fabrics from the future’. Models marched in a brutalist open-air parking complex in the suburbs of Paris: in shimmering tops, playful floral patterns, oversized sporty bombers and comfy Texan boots. As Marant described it: an ode to the long-lost parties (may we meet again soon). 

Entitled Disturbing Beauty, Christian Dior’s AW21 show - inspired by dark fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast and Little Red Riding Hood - was filmed by Fabien Baron in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s collection featured leather-cut pinafore dresses, luxe tailoring, leopard print coats, jumpsuits and sheer tulle evening gowns. To set the scene? Chiuri commissioned Italian artist Silvia Giambrone to create an installation of thorn and wax-covered opaque mirrors.

Matthew Williams used to style musical wunderkind’s Kanye West and Lady Gaga before launching his own brand Alyx, so it seemed fitting that he presented his collection for Givenchy inside Paris La Défense Arena, one of the biggest concert halls in France. Creating a wardrobe that focused on sharp tailored suits, evening gowns embellished with crystals and sequins, fuzzy outerwear, and look-at-me accessories (think “foam” platform shoes, balaclavas and fluffy mittens).

For AW21, Hermès staged three live experiences, featuring an emotive dance performance choreographed by Madeline Hollande. The collection included Canadian tuxedos in dark denim, bombers encrusted with silk scarves, signature blanket cashmere coats, fringed suede jackets, plissé dresses, and a new “3 in 1” Birkin bag.

For Dries Van Noten’s AW21 collection, 47 dancers and models to performed in marabou-trimmed dresses, tops with trompe l’oeil red rose prints, loosely fit tailored suits and sparkling coats in silver tinsel, on the stage of deSingel, an arts centre, in Antwerp (his hometown). A celebration of glamourous dressing, drawing on the excess styles of the 1980s, when Dries started his fashion journey - but also a vision of feminine beauty, that combines according to the designer, “the passionate exaggerated women of Pedro Almodóvar and the stoic, graceful disruptive power of Pina Bausch”.

Balmain’s aviation-inspired collection – showcased on the wing of a jumbo jet - consisted of bomber jackets, khaki uniforms, flight suits, graduating to shimmering silver and neon yellow power dressing. “As we move forward, we need to always dream big, remain optimistic and consider all possibilities”, Balmain’s creative director Olivier Rousteing says.“So, the moon forms not just a beautiful backdrop for this video, but also a promise—as Balmain looks ahead to the house’s future lunar runways”.

This season the creative director of Lanvin, Bruno Sialelli, eschewed tradition and filmed an alternative music video for Gwen Stefani’s Rich Girl (his favourite teen anthem). Models enjoyed a lavish party in the Shangri-La hotel in Paris, decked out in marabou feathers, silks, leopard prints, XXL bows and more. As well as featuring a surprise appearance from icon of the MTV music era, Eve. You can watch the video here...