While trends might come and go, fashion week keeps on coming — two times a year to be precise. This time, it's virtual, and almost all of us -cheers, fashion enthusiasts- can binge-watch the new- couture- collections rather than Netflix. As we navigate the way of life with masks on and-social- distancing maintained, fashion seems like an unnecessary luxury, but it provides us all with the much-needed escape from realism and you can just imagine yourself in new-highly extravagant- clothes.
It all started in the 1850s when Paris was booming with ateliers rather than coronavirus cases and the French were enjoying their usual Sunday afternoons of leisure while turning Paris into a legacy for fashion. It was then, Charles Fredrick Worth decided to create clothes for his customers and let them choose the material of the fabrics along with its colours and other details before starting to design the outfit.
This whole process, new to the time, gave birth to Haute Couture or the art of fine dressmaking which is eponymous to the prestige of various fashion houses like Chanel, Dior, Hermes and Yves Saint Laurent. Haute couture symbolises extravagance, elegance and often creates trends which last a season or two simultaneously creating a brand image which will probably last longer than a decade.
Couture is a luxury for most people, unlike commercial fashion, which is a luxury for some and a necessity for others. These collections, as we know them, are presented twice a year in January and July, respectively, and the Maisons de couture (fashion houses) display a set of at least fifty pieces of clothing which includes the day and evening wear, displaying the fine craftsmanship and artistry of every brand. Chambre de la Syndicale, an organisation, which is the gatekeeper of haute couture, is highly exclusive and preserves the art of dressmaking with its own specific set of rules.
Couture collections are rarely budget-relevant and the modernised collections are not designed to be sold unless, of course, you have to attend the Oscars. These collections are strictly for perception, publicity -people wear couture to Oscars, duh- and understanding of the brand image, and to most of us, they are the clothes that leave our eyes gleaming in hopes of wearing it someday -perhaps, tonight in our dreams.
This year, as the flights to Paris, are postponed and we all stay at our houses fighting a pandemic and protesting for things which should not happen, digital fashion week seemed like the only beacon of hope for the world of fashion which is dealing with the many economic disparities that arise as the time passes. The federation de la haute couture announced that the couture collections will be presented digitally in different ways from July 9th to 13th for all. So, grab thy popcorn and judge the clothes along with the editors while experiencing the front row from your beds.
Paris Couture Week 2020-21
The couture collection was presented by many prominent brands in their own different ways and received mixed reviews, to say the least. While the clothes took us all off to a faraway land, some were found complaining about not getting their front row seats. Digital, it may be, fashion week was not lagging in terms of creativity.
Every brand found its identity and presented their collections in a somewhat different way. Some brands like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent decided to skip the fashion week and take a calendar-less approach to this year. Whereas other brands presented collections which provided a dreamland to escape to.
1. CHANEL
Chanel is known for its shows with extravagant settings at the Grand Palais which includes a highly exclusive and starlit front row. This time, Chanel, under the leadership of Virginie Viard presented its collection in the form of a thirty-picture series shot by Mikael Jansson. With its signature tweed and velvet, the collection which was said to be inspired by Karl Lagerfeld was not less glamourous in any way.
2. BALMAIN
Lavish floor-length gowns paired with opera gloves set the scene for Balmain’s couture show. The stage was the Seine and the audience was supposed to receive a Livestream of two hours through the social media platform of Tik-Tok which was cut short due to technical difficulties. The performance by Yseult (French singer) and the background of le Eiffel provided the surreal glamour to the secluded show under the leadership of Olivier Rousteing.
3. DIOR
Dior presented its collection in a highly unusual way over zoom -not the unusual part- in miniature mannequins -yup, that’s unusual. The well-crafted collection, presented by Maria Grazia Chuiri is reminiscent of a mythical fairy-tale and delves deep into the world of enchantment. It was released for the general public in the form of a film directed by Matteo Garrone capturing the essence of fashion and theatre. The collection provides with a much-needed escape and is a great way to reduce wastage and promote sustainability.
4. GIAMBATTISTA VALLI
Famous for its signature heaps of tulle, ruffles and bows which lead to the construction of gowns which seem appropriate for the Cannes red carpet, Valli presented this 19-piece collection in pictures and a video on youtube, casting Joan Smalls for the entire collection. The collection is called “An ode to Paris and gestures of Haute couture” and it is dedicated to La Ville Lumiere or the city of lights.
While the big bows and even bigger layers of tulle might seem extravagant, these pieces capture the spirit of couture and seem oddly delightful to look at. If only Cannes wasn’t cancelled.
5. SCHIAPARELLI
Daniel Roseberry, the creative director at Schiaparelli was one among many stuck in New York during the pandemic. He reflects upon his months of quarantine as an extremely privileged one and reveals that he designed the entire collection in a single morning on a park bench while taking a walk in the Washington Square Park.
His collection mirrors upon his time stuck in New York where he doesn’t have the usual materials to execute the designs and only his imagination and the urge to create. The entire collection is displayed in sketches which are filmed and presented in a video form on Instagram.
Fashion In Corona
As the pandemic took over the world, largely affecting the major fashion hubs of the world, which include Paris, Milan, New York and London and the government imposed lockdowns to fight off the deadly virus, the fashion world took a breath’s rest and contemplated its major activities and their impacts on the ever-developing world which will fall into the hands of next generation.
The fashion weeks, which are held twice a year at four different places with the creation of clothes worth millions of dollars lead to the creation of a global footprint which affects the future of millions in the years to come. There is no denying that climate change is real and the world of fashion, glamourous as it maybe needs to look upon its impacts on the society that we share. Many brands were held accountable for their actions which follow a system of extreme wastage and aren’t all that friendly to the environment.
The sustainability of their creations was contemplated along with the number of fashion weeks that were held in a year. This was followed by the rising questions about fashion’s responsibility towards workers who are paid extremely low wages for their work and hold a prominent amount of credit for a brand’s success.
The #Blacklivesmatter bought in a surge of support for people of colour in the industry and questions about diversity in this field were bought up. Many fashion houses filed for bankruptcy and many were shut down as an effect to the economic crisis following the impact of Covid-19.
However, as the restrictions ease down, hosting fashion week, which attracts people from all over the world, does not seem like the most viable of options and virtual presentation is the way to go. After the digital couture week in Paris, the CFDA has announced that the NYFW in September will be a virtual event as well. So, welcome to the new normal, where the world of fashion is not only glitzy but responsible as well.
PERCEIVED BY THE WORLD.
In the past, fashion shows have been live-streamed over different social media platforms, however this year, Paris conducted the first fashion week which was solely based on a digital platform. It might seem surreal but it was necessary given the state of the world. The dose of street style and Anna Wintour peeking at the runway might be missing but hey, the coronavirus cases won’t rise.
However, the fashion crowd seemed a bit sceptical about the virtual runway. Buyers who got a good peek at the details at the show are missing it. Many makeup artists and hairdressers along with the models are missing the energy which is ever-present at the backstage of a fashion show.
An editor told Coveteur, that the virtual platform of the display is turning the clothes into costumes which might create a problem for trend forecasters. Many regular show-goers are missing the human connection and enthusiasm that this highly coveted week brings with it.
Among many things, in this pandemic prone fashion week, the usual hustle-bustle of people running in curious outfits and a fleet of cars, all of which, were running in the same direction were not present but the creativity of the designers and the newness that the couture week brings were the things that weren’t missing. Altogether, a blessing for some and a curse for others, the digital fashion week received mixed reviews, to say the least, but it was the only way to carry on the legacy which the French connoisseurs of fashion have left behind.
So, sit back and relax while indulging in this new and improved world of fashion for all.
