Do you want to know what happened this fashion season? We decided to write the fashion week recap so you can stay on top of the highlights that are likely to lead the next fashion trends.
The prêt-à-porter fashion weeks take place in the biggest fashion capitals. The most important are those in New York, London, Milan and Paris – known as the Big Four.
All of them have their own peculiarity. Keep reading our biggest fashion week recap to know all the highlights from the big four!
Fashion Week Recap: NYFW
To start this fashion week recap, let’s introduce NYFW. It was the first event in the industry worldwide and has become an industry milestone. The style and vibe are more commercial. According to The Bella King website, “you can actually wear most of the pieces straight from the runway.”
Check out the highlights below.
Carolina Herrera
The Maison created a secret garden and unfurled blossoms at New York Fashion Week.
Creative director Wes Gordon chose romanticism by combining floral prints of tea roses and hand-painted peonies in different sizes. In addition to the romantic feature, the brand went from florals to B&W, and the show made a point of celebrating diversity with a cast of diverse bodies.
Michael Kors
The brand focused on bringing the essence of summer holidays to everyday pieces. The designs allow for versatility with a touch of dramatic, traditional and sensual styles.
The collection also prioritized the variety of colors. First, the show started with a safe color palette of black and white. As the show continues, the pieces get brighter and bolder with pops of red, magenta, lime, and sky blue.
Tom Ford
Inspired by the 80’s disco, the brand presented pieces full of sequin, crystals and glitter.
Starting from the principle of Night Luxe, the pieces were extravagant. Elle described what the brand possibly delivers to women and what they want and need: “In Ford’s mind’s eye, she always needs a heady dose of glamor and a veritable injection of sex appeal.”
Fashion Week Recap: LFW
According to the All Arts School website, London Fashion week introduced men’s collections in 2012. And “with more than 5,000 press and buyers in attendance, exceeds coverage of most major news and worldwide sports events.” This was the first fashion week to broadcast its shows live.
Here are the highlights.
Harris Reed
Glamor and maximalism describe the Harris Reed show. In addition to a live performance by singer Adam Lambert, the creative director was inspired by Victorian crinolines and the Drag Queens’ clubs in New York.
As VOGUE describes, the plan was to “stage his — Harris Reed — joyfully glam, celebratory queer show as a move-on, literally, from the high-drama static tableaux he’s worked on for a couple of seasons.”
This season marked the designer’s sophomore fashion show. The result? An environment that aroused different sensations without fear of taking risks with creativity.
Chopova Lowena
The punk is here. In your debut, Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena featured the most varied types of prints and cuts with fun handmade designs, as well as some daring accessories such as plush boots and futuristic glasses.
About the collection titled “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose,” Lowena said to WWD: “It’s about the Rose Festival, which is from the part of Bulgaria where my ancestry is from and it’s a festival to celebrate the rose and the beauty of the rose.”
Bora Aksu
With a touch of gentle humor and going through romanticism and grunge, the brand presented a “military-inspired collection that saw its signature feminine fits blend seamlessly with masculine detailing.”
Aksu drew inspiration from the 14th-century poet Christine de Pizan for her feminine dresses and tailored jackets. She was a medieval writer and historiographer who advocated for women’s equality.
On the show, there was a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. The Turkish designer held a minute of silence and then brought out his collection on the runway.
Fashion Week Recap: MFW
Milan Fashion Week happened for the first time in 1958. It’s organized by the non-profit organization Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana. The days between the 20th and 26th of September were marked with innovative shows & iconic looks on the catwalks. MFW featured more than 60 shows and dozens of other presentations and introduced trends that are likely to dictate the new paths of fashion.
Diesel
One of the main highlights is Diesel. The brand opened its presentation to more than 5.000 people – with a big part of the audience being students. The show also broke the Guinness World Record for the largest inflatable sculpture. It represented four silvery, genderless bodies merging and falling into each other with tangled limbs and projecting from the ceiling and into the arena’s crowd.
The responsible for the Dutch design office Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck, who created the sculpture, told the Dezeen: “The sculpture takes over the existing architecture and therefore makes the audience both overwhelmed by it but also a part of it by making it feel almost intimate becoming a part of the sculpture’s embrace.”
Dolce & Gabbana
The collection was created by the designer duo Stefano and Domenico and curated by Kim, who appeared at the show’s end.
But a striking moment was the act of the brand redesigning itself in the market after a racist episode in the past. The attempt was just as risky as Kim starred in a remake of the controversial video that showed an unnamed Chinese model attempting to eat oversized Italian foods with chopsticks.
On this season’s fashion week, D&G presented a black and white video of Kim Kardashian eating spaghetti, which parallels the 2018 video. Considering the past, the choice of the scene was as surprising as it was, right?
Gucci
The Gucci show was… double — In scenario or models. First, the show took place at first with one of the models of the twins’ duo. But the audience was shocked when they saw that it was 68 pairs of identical twins and doppelgängers dressed in matching clothing.
Creative Director Alessandro Michele presented a collection connecting with his family. His major inspiration was his mother and her twin.
The show was marked by animal prints with a classic touch, in addition to striking accessories. The use of blazers, ties and suits was also present.
Avavav
Under the creative direction of Beate Karlsson, all models in the show fell on the catwalks. They presented a parody of everything extravagant, which led to an intentional fall.
Versace
Celebrating the Modern Versace Woman, Donatella highlights the return of punk with a pop influence and many bright and neon colors. Intending to retain Gen Z, there were several looks for Barbiecore fans. Paris Hilton was one of the big stars wearing a sparkly pink mini dress, reinforcing the trend on the catwalks.
The brand ensured that one of its greatest characteristics is reinventing itself without losing its essence. Demonstrating the return of 2000s fashion, the show was filled with micro skirts, low waists and plunging necklines.
Fashion Week Recap: PFW
Paris Fashion Week officially premiered in 1973. Today, the event is known for its refined craftsmanship and showcases collections from brands that work with the four seasons collections.
Coperni
Besides walking over 20 shows this season, Bella Hadid was a human mannequin for a spray-on dress that two scientists created before the audience’s eyes. The technique was invented by Manel Torres, Managing Director and founder of Fabrican Limited.
Bella walked the runway wearing underwear. Within minutes, the scientists began spraying the liquid that soon after had turned into a white dress. To finish it off, the label’s head of design, Charlotte Raymond, took the stage and manipulated the neckline while it was still drying and cut a slit in her leg.
The moment allowed for a light and magical atmosphere.
Balenciaga
Call it a social experiment; call it fashion. Balenciaga knows pretty well how to instigate critical conscience with their unexpected collections and shows.
With Kanye West’s opening, models walked over a mud walkway while ahead was a mud pit, 20 feet deep. Creative Director Demna Gvasalia stated: “Putting fashion into the box of polished, exclusive, and visually expensive is limited and pretty old school.”
On the internet, some users considered that the show went too far.
Despite this, the collection promises to send an interesting message, as it is not the first time it has criticized the luxury market, and it also brings relevant discussions about war and other conflicts.
Creative Director Demna Gvasalia shared: “I’ve felt like I’ve been punched in my face for being who I am, but you have to stand up and continue walking, kind of like this crusade of discovering who you are and defending that.” Demna called it a “very me show.”
By the way, we already wrote an article about the Maison. Check it out: How far does Balenciaga’s political-social criticism go?
Chanel
The show was mainly about giving continuity to what has already been consecrated. “At Chanel, we prefer a dream, some serenity, over controversy,” said Bruno Pavlovsky, President of Fashion. The Maison closed the Fashion week with cinematic inspiration.
Virginie Viard, the creative director, was inspired by Hollywood glamor for the collection. The Guardian wrote: “Classic black chiffon cocktail dresses, ladylike polka dots and supple, elongated evening gowns emphasized the timelessness of the Chanel aesthetic.”
In addition, the Maison presented the reinterpretation of tweed applied in dresses, coats, cropped skirt suits and wide jumpsuits with color variations.
We have already told the story of Chanel here: Behind The Fashion Icon: Coco Chanel Story.
Ester Manas
There is still a lot to improve in the body positive positioning of brands at fashion weeks. After all, how many plus-size models have you seen in all brands above?
Regarding Ester Manas, the designer decided to make it very explicit.
According to the CEO and creative director: “I never, ever believed I would be able to walk a show. And now it’s possible!”. Manas and her partner, Balthazar Delepierre, celebrated the collection’s size-inclusive cast and created a welcoming and inspiring atmosphere.
Like this article? Then you must read this one: Halston: The Rise & Fall of the Iconic American Designer – Transformed Into a Netflix Show.