The Wylde Edit: Paris Fashion Week

Words by Luke Singleton and Lauren Rae

Saint Laurent

The Saint Laurent show marked a spirited debut collection from Anthony Vaccarello, with a definitive imprint. Deviceful like his predecessors, Vaccarello is an individualist- albeit one with a clear sense of heritage. The result was a nuanced collection, with plenty of allusion to his distinguished fashion ancestry. The reintroduction of an 80’s silhouette earnestly embodied an YSL look from yesteryear, modernised by a stripped-back edge. Clean lines and a monochrome palette tamed New Romantic proportions. Models walked with little make-up, their hair worn loose and undone. Décolletage baring bustiers, in black velvet and supple leather, were paired with pale, slouchy boyfriend jeans. There were new riffs on house stalwarts: one-shouldered daredevil dresses, leather jackets, translucent chiffon blouses with exaggerated sleeves, and “Le Smoking” for the 21st century – shrewdly deconstructed, with shoulders squared off, and trousers pegged and ultra narrow. Embellishment was minimal, with an emphasis more on the ‘feel’ of the clothes, combining provocative sexuality with a rock-n-roll swagger- befitting the current ‘street’ sensibility in Paris.

Balenciaga

Balenciaga re-worked 80’s power dressing staples in the house’s latest arresting collection. Guests were ushered through slutty red curtains, like entering a seedy 80’s disco, to be met with an incongruously monochrome, almost utilitarian show space which provided the perfect background for the colour explosion which followed. This mix of the hyper-sexual and the mundane acts as a handy metaphor for Demna Gvaslaia’s collection. Grand broad-shouldered blazers, disco pants and skirts in a mix of classic tailoring fabrics and eye-popping spandex vied for attention. The Instagram-friendly show heroes, Gvaslaia’s incredible super-stretchy pant-boots, were teamed with larger-than-life leather bags. Models blitzed down the catwalk to a soundtrack of ‘Careless Whisper’ and Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’, rocking minimal make-up and fiercely lacquered talons.

Dior

We’re calling it, it’s the Dior revolution! Storming the runway in t-shirts that read ‘We should all be feminists’ and ‘dio(r)evolution’, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s girls set ablaze the Paris runways. The opening white looks, inspired by the sport of fencing, demonstrated both strength and tenderness in womanhood. Infusing feminism with fashion, models rocked a throughly modern mix of Parisian couture-standard handiwork with bare faces and simple slogan tees. That staple of the modern women's wardrobe, the leather jacket, tempered the dreamy femininity of embellished sheer tulle skirts. Frothy chiffon, worn in a way that resonates for real women, had a Carrie-Bradshaw-circa-1998 vibe. The stunning collection also featured insect embroidery, floral lace and the finest, lightest fit-for-a-(feminist)-princess dresses, with finishing touches including the Dior tagline placed on straps and waist bands.

Chloe

Classic Chloe – feminine, simple and joyous. Clare Waight Keller breathed fresh nautical air into house favourites such as pleated jumpsuits, crisp white dresses, city-shorts and diaphanous gowns. Jumpsuits were cinched at the waist and wide-legged. Masculine elements (tailoring, navy blue, borrowed-from-the-boys shirting) were off-set with seventies-style dreamy ruffled dresses and bare shoulders, perfecting a flawless boy/girl balance. With a collective of button-down cotton shirts, bib-fronted tops, plain white t-shirts, babydoll dresses and cargo pants, this was a quintessential Chloe girls dream wardrobe. The billowing, oversize silhouette was tempered with teeny-tiny bags, which will no doubt inspire a cult-like following. Waight Keller summed up the mood perfectly: ‘sexiness through innocence’.

Miu Miu

The eagerly awaited Miu Miu show brought with it a selection of delectable hand-crafted summer pieces. Ending fashion month on a high, Muiccia Prada’s take on 1960s style felt joyful, optimistic and perfect for now. Models wore delightfully-kitsch rubber swim caps with retro beachwear. Pairing belted trench coats (worn with the ease of a post-swim bathrobe) with two-piece bathing suits, Miu Miu took us on a Kodachrome-tinted summer beach trip. Where Miu Miu leads with shoes, we all follow and this season was stronger than ever. A kaleidoscope of retro t-bar platforms in candy coloured satin, opal-fruit tinged plastic sliders and chunky, funky flatforms stomped down the runway to the hungry gaze of the worlds fashion press.