Long dresses, glitter and camera flashes, everyone hurrying to the front doors of a small palace, the lucky ones heading confidently to the entrance, and the other, bigger half of the crowd waiting outside, hoping to get in and have a peek… This scene will soon be repeating itself quite a lot during Paris Fashion Week!
The fashion weeks have been at the centre of attention these past few weeks, since their start in New York in January, then moving on to London and Milan, before finishing in Paris, where Paris Fashion Week will take place from 1st to 9th March.
The Big Four are not the only cities in the world to have their fashion week, but they are certainly the most popular… Who hasn’t wished to attend one of them and see Gigi Hadid or Julia Nobis glide along the catwalk?
It all began in New York in 1945 as an attempt by the Big Apple to redeem its reputation and influence in the world of fashion and stand up to Paris. Standards have since then been implemented and fashion weeks always take place twice a year: February-March for the display of the winter collection and September-October for the summer collections. But time always has it its own way: a fairly new concept has arisen at the Fédération française de la Couture called the “Designer’s Apartment”, where less well-known but nonetheless talented (and lucky) designers can display their new collections. This year you will be able to find, amongst many others, Zadig et Voltaire, Anne-Sofie Madsen, Paule Ka…
The privilege of being invited to this prestigious fashion event is usually kept for designers, journalists and celebrities to enjoy. The attending VIPs are also a little on “display” to add to the cachet of the event, as they are usually always seated in the first row. This year in Paris the front row will of course be filled by Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of the American Vogue. Under her thick black sunglasses and strict haircut, she scans the slender figures and who knows what she’ll be thinking of the new Sonia Rykiel skirt.
Paris is the only city amongst the Big Four to host a haute couture show, which took place earlier in January. For those who have no notion of French or who do but don’t have a clue what it might mean, haute couture consists exclusively of hand-made tailored clothes. The fashion week organised in March will be a little more suited for everyday use with prêt-à-porter clothes that are generally seen 6 months later in the shop windows of the Dior, Givenchy or Chanel boutiques (but, surprisingly, not in our wardrobes). No worries though: for those who can wait a little, the Vallée Village shopping outlet located just 10 minutes from the Dream Castle and Magic Circus hotels has many luxury brand boutiques with very attractive prices… Though their collections are usually one or two old years old…
Speaking of previous years, be ready to be surprised and have a flashback to the 80s and 90s. Balmain’s chief designer Olivier Rousteing has called upon the iconic figures of Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Cindy Crawford to showcase his latest collections.
But what’s so special about Paris Fashion Week? Fashionistas would say that every city has its own style and way of living fashion. Paris Fashion Week focuses on haute couture, while New York is more into casual wear, London features a trendy, “ahead of its time” style and Milan is described as a little more extravagant.
But what is it about fashion that stands out so much in Paris? Parisian fashions certainly are like nowhere else. Something about being supremely elegant and feminine without even seeming to try. Everything in the subtle way, and with the ever-lasting legacy of Coco Chanel. The classical colours such as white, black and deep blue, matched with a pair of jeans for a day look or darker trousers and a suit jacket for a glamourous night-time look. Add a black leather “boy bag”, plus a touch of red or gold, and off you go on your way to the great show…