The curtains have fallen on yet another haute couture season, and boy, what a season it was. Haute couture is fashion’s most rarefied echelon, and designers dutifully utilised craftsmanship in all sorts of creative ways to showcase its ability to inspire and fuel the imagination. Here are our favourite moments from on and off the runways:
Couture Gets Conceptual
Iris van Harpen, Maison Margiela and Viktor & Rolf were some of the brands that gave this season’s couture showings its abstract slant. Van Harpen, for example, worked with American kinetic sculptor Anthony Howe on a collection that produced the subtlest and most mesmerising of movements. An avant-garde dress moved with the sort of mesmerising motion that recalled Howe’s signature wind sculptures. Meanwhile, John Galliano deconstructed (and then constructed) garments with couture techniques at Maison Margiela, along the way producing sexless clothes that provoked thoughts about gender identities.
A Hair-Raising Affair
The season’s viral meme moment happened seven looks into the Givenchy show, when Korean model Sora Choi stepped out in an immaculate skirt-suit, her hair beautifully styled to resemble the wings of a bird catching the wind. This aerodynamic look came courtesy of acclaimed hairstylist Guido Palau, who reportedly blew-dry lengths of the hair into the crescendo-like shapes, then liberally applied hairspray to give the hair its unique structural look.
-
Korean Model Choi Sora’s gravity-defying updo. -
Givenchy’s show was quite the hair-raising affair.
Rewriting The New Chapter of Chanel… With Books
Giant and imaginative sets have become a Chanel mainstay and it’s a tradition that is now in the hands of its newest Creative Director Virginie Viard to upkeep. For her debut haute couture collection at Chanel, Viard had the Grand Palais transformed into a massive library inspired by Coco Chanel’s own in her Rue Cambon apartment. It was also part homage to Karl Lagerfeld, who was known to be an avid reader and book collector. The collection Viard showed against this expansive bibliothèque was equally studied—long coat dresses and romantic long gowns formed the backbone of her showing.
Pierpaolo Piccioli Is Fashion’s New MVP
The Italian designer has been dreaming up highly acclaimed haute collections for Valentino since he went solo, but more importantly, he has also injected a sense of humanity into this rarefied world. For the finale of his fall/winter 2019 show, Piccioli brought his atelier staff with him for his bow—a moving occasion captured for the world to see.
Celine Dion Being… Well, Celine Dion
Trust us when we say we’re living for Celine Dion, who has emerged as fashion’s newest style icon and obsession. The Canadian singer dialled up the drama this couture season, posing for photo-ops in a stunning variety of outfits that matched her impressive vocal range. From an Off-White jacket-bodysuit combo to a dramatic Alexandre Vauither gown, our heart will go on for Dion’s fashion choices.