Paris Fashion Week, which runs until Tuesday, has seen no shortage of eye-catching moments this week. Here are a few highlights.
NO PHONES?!? — OMG! Fashionistas at The Row’s show were told they were not allowed to use their beloved phones, meaning entire minutes of their lives would go unrecorded on Instagram. The label of TV star sisters Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen instead offered guests a notebook and pencil to record their impressions the old-fashioned way.
CHLOE’S NEW MAMA — there was a rare moment of spontaneity and family love at Chloe, where German designer Chemena Kamali made her debut with a collection that returned to the 1970s heyday of the house. When Kamali came to take the customary bow at the end of the show, her five-year-old son couldn’t resist running onto the catwalk for a hug in front of the ranks of fashion elite. Surprised and delighted, Kamali took him in her arms before quickly passing him back to dad and rushing backstage.
PETA’S BECKHAM PROTEST — PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) disrupted Victoria Beckham’s show on Friday, with slogans including “Viva Vegan Leather” and “Animals Aren’t Fabric” before being bundled quickly off the catwalk.
TEDDY BOY — Vetements, the subversive brand launched in 2014, vowed its latest show was the one “you’ve been waiting for 10 years” and drew attention with hugely oversized suits and a Ronaldo jersey turned into a dress. One crazy look was a coat made of teddy bears. Was creative director Guram Gvasalia having a dig at his estranged brother Demna, who quit the brand to work for Balenciaga and had a huge controversy around an ad campaign featuring BDSM teddy bears? Perhaps, though Vogue pointed out it was a direct copy from Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, who made a similar coat for Madonna.
HIGHLAND SAM SMITH — British popstar Sam Smith made a surprise appearance on the catwalk for Vivienne Westwood in a very short and rather revealing tartan kilt under a red shawl. The “Unholy” singer, known for daring red carpet outfits, re-emerged later in a long shredded black coat over a polka-dot top.
CASABLANCA UP IN ARMS — Charaf Tajer’s label, which joined Paris Fashion Week last year, has built a lot of hype with its luxury sportswear. Its second show, named after 90s Bjork hit “Venus as a Boy”, introduced more stylish nightwear – ranging from a blood-red cocktail dress to a semi-sheer rhinestone blouse to a pearl-encrusted mini-dress – and played with imagery from Ancient Greece including laurels, pottery and sandals. But in the ring of the Winter Circus, the clothes were almost overshadowed by an incredible troupe of synchronised arm dancers in the background.
DVN’S ‘AUDACIOUS EVERYDAY’ — known for meticulous craftsmanship, Belgium’s Dries Van Noten presented another eclectic collection that spawned a possible new trend tag from WWD: “audacious everyday” has apparently replaced last year’s “quiet luxury”. Deconstructed sweaters turned into wraparound shawls, kimono-like coats, big furry shorts and bags – in a pastel range of pink, aniseed green and butter yellow – the collection sought a balance between stylish restraint and exciting statement.
RAINING ON HERMES — it was a rainy week in Paris and Hermes brought the wet indoors, too, with a curtain of rain pouring down through the middle of the catwalk. The collection, “midway between equestrianism and motorbikes” according to creative director Nadege Vanhee, offered luxurious ways to keep dry. Biker-style jackets and tight-fitting coats with wool sleeves. Others featured rocker-style rivets or ostrich feathers, all in a narrow palette of burgundy, green, black and grey.