Top 10 Shows of Paris Fashion Week Fall 2016-2017

Christian Dior

For 3 seasons now, Dior has remained sans a creative director. This collection, designed by it’s studio team, is full of beautiful clothes, but without an overarching vision or story that only a creative designer, with liberty, can tell. The colour-palette is quite Parisian – dark, with hints of leopard. The outerwear is gorgeous, in particular the softly sculpted coats, many of which double up as mini-dresses.

Read our complete decoding of the show here.

Louis Vuitton

Nicolas Ghesquière has been known to be an experimenter, but with this collection he also has his finger on the pulse of the Zeitgeist. An elegant athleticism runs through the clothes that include many new inventions and reiterations of old Ghesquière designs. Colour-blocked knits and mohair sweaters, exaggerated-hip jackets, scarf dresses, trench coats that end above the waist and start again and bustiers over dresses are just a few of diverse designs on display.

Chanel

Everything about Chanel’s fall 2016 show has Lagerfeld taking the fashion house back to its roots. From the front-row only policy and non-fussy set, reminiscent of the way couture was shown to clients before the runway was invented, to the actual clothes and motifs running through them. Strings of pearls, hats, tweed suits tailored for women, white layered-ruffles and a slight touch of whimsy and femininity, all in a modern context — everything that defines the glory days of Chanel.

Hermès

Coming from a hyper-luxury brand, the discreet and pared-back aesthetic is refreshing. Typical features of the French design house are present in the form of textured knits, high-quality leather and beautifully-crafted coats with standout silhouettes.

Valentino

Known for their dreamy dresses, this collection of Valentino opens with tougher-than-usual, all-black looks. As the looks soften and the blacks become nudes, it becomes clear that this is a dancer’s wardrobe — specifically a ballerina’s. With tutus and dresses layered with coats and turtlenecks, nude flats, and sheer, embellished dresses that can double as costumes, the collection has both onstage and off-duty looks. The tough boots paired with delicate clothes are the requirements of a city girl who enjoys the finer things in life.

Balenciaga

Demna Gvasalia’s first collection for Balenciaga was a resounding success, critically. The buzziest designer-of-the-moment, he manages to distill the essence of Cristóbal Balenciaga through his own, distinctly modern lens and create garments and a look that any contemporary woman who cares about fashion will desire. A perfect example are the plaid suits with padding at the waist to create the hourglass figure Balenciaga is known for.

Isabel Marant

Her typical French-boheme aesthetic is a bit toned down in this collection, which is more of a flashback to the 80s. Lots of patent leather, oversized, manly tweed coats, ruffled Victorian collars, wide, waist-cinching belts and argyle sweaters are some of the running elements. The mood is that of a party and the uniform — 80s club wear.

Dries Van Noten

He combines his usual level of hyper-luxury with aspirational style and cool, unexpected styling for a collection that is dark, but beautiful. There is a sense of decadence about this collection without anything being over-the-top. It is a grown-up kind of glamour with lots of leopard print, lavish faux furs, slinky pajamas and robes, impeccable androgynous tailoring and a touch of the idiosyncratic.

Loewe

Jonathan Anderson’s collection at Loewe is chic, ladylike and extremely well put together — curated, as it were — including touches of the whimsical. The primary silhouette is fit and flair, with cinched waists, handkerchief hemlines on pleated skirts and bustiers. The jewellery is arty, edgy and instantly lust-worthy, including the gold chokers and armbands and especially the leather cats around the neck.

Saint Laurent

Part two of Hedi Slimane’s collection for Saint Laurent (part one was shown earlier in L.A.) created quite a stir — mostly because it is a couture collection in the middle of a ready-to-wear fashion week! It is a stunning collection, at once modern and an ode to the glamour of Yves Saint Laurent’s time. However, the ultra-thin, non-exclusive body type the clothes are designed for is slightly disappointing. The nod to the 80s, especially the exaggerated shoulder, is complemented by slicked back hair and a swipe of red on the lips.