Every fall, crowds gather in couture capitals New York, London, Milan and Paris to discover what’s next for fashion.
Editors of top fashion publications, models, rappers, actors and bloggers tour the globe to attend fashion shows and their notoriously star-studded after parties. The elite drape themselves in the latest haute couture in hopes of being captured by “street style” photographers, a fairly new fashion culture-phenomenon that has spurred since the birth of social media.
This sartorial circus is known as “fashion month,” and it is ultimately responsible for what will be on the racks of every clothing retailer in the future.
A crop of standout shows for the Spring/Summer 2016 Ready-To-Wear season came to light in Paris, the fashion capital of the world.
Nicolas Ghesquière continues to prove himself at Louis Vuitton since his move from Balenciaga in 2012. His latest collection further shows his ability to transition the brand’s iconic pieces into modern works. In the past, he designed the “Petite Malle,” a handbag inspired by the house’s famous Maison monogram trunks.
This season, he juxtaposed the notable Monogram and Damier canvases into garments such as leather jackets. The looks, paired often with black platforms, radiated a punchy, techno-punk attitude—an exciting direction for the brand.
The always-theatrical Chanel took its viewers on a fantastic voyage with “Chanel Airways.”
Karl Lagerfeld has mastered his execution of mixing ladylike elegance with a trendy youthfulness. Oversized, mirrored shield sunglasses and coordinated backwards caps were mainstays on the runway. These served as a welcome contrast to the brand’s usual dressiness.
Lagerfeld also continued to upcycle the traditional Chanel tweed suit, this time with a more relaxed, modern shape.
There was an undeniable sense of “Riot Grrrl” spirit in the air at Yves Saint Laurent. The brand is known for having a rock ’n’ roll heart, and showed a collection fueled by blacks, metallics and animal motifs. Every model, as a glamorous complement to each look, wore a tiara.
Towards the end of the show, creative director Hedi Slimane sent a block of around 10 different black dresses down the runway. The string was only broken up by one nude gown, reminiscent of the one worn by rock star Courtney Love at her iconic appearance at the 1993 MTV Music Video Awards.
Saint Laurent dragged its viewers to the underground to show a return of wearable chic.
In Milan, the house of Versace took a tomboy-ish turn. Donatella Versace has a true talent for creating femme fatale fashions. In her Spring 2016 Ready-To-Wear collection, army greens and utilitarian hardware ran rampant down the runway. Touches of contrasting purples added just the right amount of femininity.
Perhaps the most newsworthy show in New York was Kanye West’s Yeezy showing. He kept his second collection small at 28 looks. Much like his first season, he mostly stuck to street looks in muted neutral tones. Unfortunately, it would have been impossible for this collection to cause as much buzz as the release of the notoriously sought after Adidas “Yeezy Boost 350” sneaker, which debuted over the summer.
With another fashion month over, designers and their crews take to various exotic vacation destinations to recuperate after the whirlwind and nurse their creativity and frazzled nerves.
Soon again, they will return to their studios to begin crafting next season’s garments. The exciting world of fashion keeps on turning, and we will always keep watching.
