Oof, What A Month of Fashion!

Oof, what a month of fashion. We were deprived of immersive, tactile, tangible experiences, and now we’ve been inundated with flesh-baring, show-stopping runways and collections. It’s been a mixed bag this season, indeed as it is most seasons, but these few weeks have put those with a sharp sense of identity, sustainability and ethos on a pedestal.

Miu Miu, for one, was an exceptional example. Mrs Prada’s feminine subversion was in full force but amped-up for the younger Miu Miu client. Have you heard the noughties are back? Well, this collection cemented it. Hip-slugging barely-there pleated skirts harked of The Simple Life, but ultimately this collection was just Miuccia doing Miuccia - fashion basics twisted and metamorphosed to perfection.

Ester Manas also excelled. The brand’s first physical show was awe-inspiring - from impeccable casting (and an evolving relationship with the models) to reinvented signatures, Tarantino references and exposed skin. It was a simple presentation that spoke volumes. That’s what popped this season, brands that excelled in their truth. That came back swinging with displays that amplified their message.

There were a few whose message was struggling to ring through, however, not for lack of showmanship but - to put it bluntly - because of a lack of authenticity. Chanel, for example, had put on an 80s George Michael-esque show (a version of Freedom 90 played) while models came alive on a paparazzi strewed, raised runway. It was, on paper, a splendid concept and one that no doubt had fans frothing, but there was a slight disconnect to the clothes. The opening looks of bodycon and bikini, which will appeal to Gen Z, were no doubt winners, but this felt like a plea for the nostalgia fanatical youths amongst Chanel tweed twin-sets.

Givenchy and Balmain even more so. Both felt out of sync, either with references that called on revered designer signatures of the past or piggy-backing on younger, edgier, brand styles. (Ottolinger’s sandals were everywhere this season.) Brands such as Noir Kei Ninomiya, Louis Vuitton and Commes des Garcons were there to swing the pendulum back to refined, elevated and original house codes. Each had challenged shape and silhouette in a modern yet honest way that put hairs on edge with excitement.

Aside from the abrupt reality slap of the Extinction Rebellion protestor who made it down Ghesquire’s runway, this fashion season was a heartbeat away from normality. It’s both inspiring and unnerving that we can slip so quickly back into the rhythm of the system. Perhaps we’ve been a little punchdrunk on fashion. Nevertheless, as the Paris Fashion Week closes with Alber Elbaz’s tribute memorial runway, we’re reminded to make a difference and positive impact with all we see, create and comment on.

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