Milan & Paris Vogue Weeks: A Story of Two Cities & a Vogue First

In case you are an ardent follower of trend, then you already know that every trend week metropolis has its personal persona. This 12 months, the distinction between Milan Vogue Week and Paris Vogue Week was particularly evident, as the previous supplied attractive and glamorous appears, whereas the latter went all in on avant-garde and experimentalism. Listed below are a few of the variations (and similarities) between the 2 trend cities for the Spring 2024 season.

MILAN FASHION WEEK SS24

Milan Vogue Week could also be over, however the reminiscence of  gorgeous collections and star-studded entrance rows linger on. The six-day occasion, which ran from September 19^th to September 25^th, showcased a few of the most influential and artistic designers on the earth. One of many fundamental themes that emerged from MFW was a return to glamour, sensuality and class, however…with a contemporary twist. Among the highlights included:

THE NEW TOM FORD

Peter Hawkings, the British designer who changed Tom Ford because the inventive director of his namesake model, made his debut with a group that stayed true to Ford’s signature fashion of modern minimalism and hedonistic magnificence. The present featured velvet fits, silk blouses, leather-based coats, night sandals and crystal-embellished attire in a palette of black, white, crimson and metallics. Hawkings additionally added some playful touches, comparable to asymmetrical jackets, cropped tuxedos and satin knickers, worn over pantyhose. The gathering was a tribute to Ford’s legacy and an announcement of Hawkings’ personal imaginative and prescient for the way forward for Tom Ford. Some would possibly even name Hawkings, Ford’s mini-me.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Sabato De Sarno, the previous Valentino designer who took over as Gucci’s inventive director after Alessandro Michele’s departure, additionally made his first look on the Milan runway with a group that aimed to make individuals fall in love with Gucci once more. De Sarno targeted on fluidity, lightness, and freedom, creating attire in sheer materials that contrasted with tailor-made fits and coats in Gucci’s iconic supplies. He additionally launched a brand new “it coloration”, Gucci Rosso, a deep oxblood hue that evoked a way of retro sophistication. The gathering was a celebration of Gucci’s heritage and a mirrored image of De Sarno’s private fashion.

YOU’VE BEEN SLIMED

Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons continued their Prada collaboration with a group that explored the idea of craft and method. The present was set in an area full of slime that dripped from the ceiling, making a distinction between the natural and the substitute. The garments had been equally juxtaposed, mixing formal silhouettes with floaty materials, printed fringe with floral patterns, and metallic equipment with delicate supplies. The gathering additionally featured some nods to Prada’s previous, comparable to Peter Pan collars, shiny trenches and hand-carved bag clasps that reproduced a design from 1913. The gathering was an illustration of Prada’s innovation and excellence.

THE ART OF SEDUCTION

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, the design duo behind Dolce & Gabbana, delivered a group that was all about seduction and glamour. The present was full of corset attire, tulle slips, lingerie units, barn jackets and flapper attire in satin, velvet, leather-based and lace. The colours had been wealthy and vibrant, starting from black and white to crimson, pink, purple and gold. The equipment had been equally eye-catching, that includes crystal elaborations, metallic fringe and classic baubles. The gathering was a tribute to Dolce & Gabbana’s signature aesthetic and a celebration of femininity.

‘90s GLAMOUR

Versace is without doubt one of the world’s most iconic and influential trend homes, identified for its daring, attractive and glamorous fashion. For Spring 2024, the Home paid tribute to its founder Gianni Versace and his legendary designs from the early ’90s. The gathering was impressed by the autumn 1995 Versace and spring 1995 Atelier Versace collections, which had been marked by a ladylike magnificence and class.

One of many highlights of the present was the return of Claudia Schiffer to the runway, who modeled for Versace within the ’90s and have become one among trend’s unique supermodels. Schiffer wore a pale-yellow lace embroidered metallic mesh slipdress that evoked the sensuality and glamour of Versace’s signature materials. The gathering additionally mirrored the present traits of the season, comparable to quick and shorter shorts and skirts, checkerboard prints, pastel colours and flat ballerina sneakers. Versace additionally up to date its basic Medusa-patterned silks into boxer quick and shirt units for women and men, including a contact of playfulness and luxury to the gathering.

ROMAN ELEGANCE

Fendi celebrated its Roman roots and its up to date imaginative and prescient for Spring 2024. Kim Jones, the creative director for couture and womenswear, mentioned he was impressed by Rome and the ladies who reside there. “In Rome, there’s an magnificence in ease and never caring what anyone else thinks—that’s actual luxurious. On this assortment, I needed to mirror that,” Jones wrote within the present notes.

The present featured fashions carrying fluid attire, tailor-made fits, knitwear separates and leather-based coats in a palette of black, white, crimson, yellow and blue. The gathering additionally featured some references to Fendi’s previous, such because the double-F brand, the puzzle print and the metallic mesh cloth. The gathering was influenced by Karl Lagerfeld’s spring 1999 present for the home and his minimalist method.

A FASHION INDUSTRY FIRST!

The closing of Moschino’s Spring 2024 Present. (Picture Credit score: Vogue)

Up till now we thought we had seen all of the ‘firsts’ there have been to see within the trend business, e.g., Black and ethic fashions showing on journal covers; racial & ethnic range, dimension inclusivity, the bodily handicapped and transgender fashions on the runway. We witnessed high-end designers like Karl Lagerfeld collaborating with H&M and different well-known designer collaborations with Goal. Then got here the ‘designer for the designer’ pattern, John Galiano at Maison Margiela and Raf Simmons at Jil Sander, adopted by the ‘visitor designer’ phenomenon, comparable to Simone Rocha for Jean Paul Gaultier Couture and Colm Dillane for Louis Vuitton. And naturally the ‘movie star’ inventive director craze, the newest being Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton and Balmain x Beyoncé.

The Moschino model has all the time been the business’s most playful trend home, identified for its witty, colourful and irreverent fashion. After founder Franco Moschino’s demise in 1994, Rossella Jardini took the helm, adopted by Jeremy Scott who, for ten years, elevated the model’s standing. With the exit of Scott in March 2023, everybody puzzled who would change him, particularly since this 12 months marks the model’s fortieth anniversary. Nicely, enter the period of ‘visitor stylist”.

Each fashionista is aware of that the position of ‘stylist’ has been given a giant increase, thanks partly to the primary ever CFDA “Stylist of the 12 months” award that went to Regulation Roach in 2022. So, in a daring first transfer for the style business, the Moschino model invited 4 outstanding stylists to reinterpret its archive to create the Spring 2024 Moschino assortment. Whether or not the model couldn’t get it collectively to rent a brand new inventive director in time for his or her Spring 2024 season or…maybe it’s a sign that stylists at the moment are the brand new act on the town. Regardless of the purpose, the home reached out to 4 stylists who paid tribute to the late Franco Moschino and his legacy of satire, subversion and pleasure. Stylists Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, Katie Grand, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, and Lucia Liu every created 10 appears that mirrored their very own private fashion and injected a few of Moschino’s signature components.

The finale of the present featured 40 fashions carrying T-shirts with Moschino’s brand, and raised funds for the Elton John AIDS Basis in reminiscence of Franco Moschino who died from AIDS in 1994.

PARIS FASHION WEEK

Paris Vogue Week, which ran from Sep 25^th to Oct 3^rd is the grand finale of  trend month.  This 12 months the Parisian runways had been filled with surprises, as many designers experimented with avant-garde ideas, supplies, and silhouettes, difficult the standard notions of magnificence and magnificence. Listed below are a few of the highlights from the Paris Vogue Week Spring 2024.

A BALL OF FUN

Rei Kawakubo, the founder and artistic director of Comme des Garçons, is without doubt one of the pioneers of avant-garde trend, and her newest assortment was no exception. Overcome by the state of the world at the moment, and the sensation of gloom and doom, Rei Kawakubo’s counterintuitive response was to roll out a group full of large balls of enjoyable.

For Spring 2024, Kawakubo confirmed off her playful facet with multi-colored, bubbly cloth sculptured appears. Patterns ranged from neon graphics to Hawaiian hibiscus prints. The gathering was a surprising show of Kawakubo’s creative imaginative and prescient and craftsmanship.

FINDING THE LIGHT

Rick Owens is one other designer who is thought for his avant-garde and edgy fashion, typically impressed by subcultures and dystopian themes. However for Spring 2024, Owens confirmed his softer facet by enjoying with colours starting from deep reds and mauve-ish pinks. It was a refreshing tackle Owens’ common goth-like aesthetic.

Seems ranged from peak-shouldered shrunken leather-based motorbike jackets to billowing parachute like capes. Owens additionally featured loads of slim, lengthy skirts with ultra-high waists,  in addition to round pouf attire which had been oh so whimsical.

THE GREAT TRANSFORMER

Maison Margiela is without doubt one of the most avant-garde and influential trend homes on the earth, identified for its deconstructed and reconstructed clothes, typically enjoying with the notions of identification and anonymity. Its spring 2024 assortment was a daring exploration of dualities and transformation, creating a surprising visible influence and a profound emotional expression. The gathering was designed by John Galliano, who can be the inventive director of the home, and who’s broadly thought to be one of the unique and visionary designers of our time.

Galliano is a grasp of enjoying with the juxtaposition of classic impressed items, comparable to bodices, linings, and petticoats and deconstructing them as much as create his beloved avant-garde appears.

REMIXING THE CODES

Yohji Yamamoto is one other one of many pioneers of avant-garde trend, and his newest assortment was no exception. The designer has been creating his experimental fashions for over 40 years and not too long ago acknowledged in an interview with Vogue that “he hates trying again to his personal work.”

For Spring 2024 Yamamoto appears to the nice designers of the previous for inspiration, citing Chanel, Givenchy, and Balenciaga. He mentioned he needed to look at and remix their codes in his distinct manner. Seems ranged from restrained black attire over white shirts to deconstructed frocks. Yamamoto’s assortment was fully in black with a pop of white sprinkled all through. However the darkness showcased Yamamoto’s creations brilliantly, as appears had been layered with pleats and tucks creating origami-like quantity that was a surprising show of Yamamoto’s creative imaginative and prescient and craftsmanship.

SARAH BURTON TAKES HER FINAL BOW

The home of Alexander McQueen has all the time been identified for its modern and futuristic designs, typically pushing the boundaries of trend and know-how. Its spring 2024 present was inventive director Sarah Burton’s closing assortment for the home. “This assortment is impressed by feminine anatomy, Queen Elizabeth I, the blood crimson rose, and Magdalena Abakanowicz, a transgressive and highly effective artist who refused ever to compromise her imaginative and prescient,” she wrote within the press assertion. “The present is devoted to Lee Alexander McQueen, whose want was all the time to empower girls, and to the eagerness, expertise, and loyalty of my crew.”

Burton additionally paid tribute to Britain and the nationwide flower of England, the crimson rose. The flower motif made its mark on a number of attire. The inventive director was additionally impressed by textile sculptures of Abakanowicz, a feminist artist from Poland, whose kinds counsel the embrace of motherhood, vaginas, consolation, and safety.

From armored leather-based corsetry to robes that celebrated the feminine physique, the gathering was a outstanding demonstration of Burton’s imaginative and prescient and talent. We’re all questioning what Burton will do subsequent. Keep tuned.

So, inform us, do your creations lean on the facet of sultry and seductive, or do they lean in the direction of avant-garde?