Couture in the Time of Covid: A Recap Of Day One, Haute Couture Week
Paris rose to the occasion for its Spring Summer 2021 Couture season, giving us permission to dream
Haute couture is, without a doubt, the highest form of extravagance in the world of fashion. On one hand, the mere mention may seem a bit superfluous during a pandemic, with its mille-feuille tulle layering and bespoke silhouettes; but on the other, it’s a fantastical world to runaway to. For Paris, it’s a sign of resilience.
As France endures a second lockdown, the country’s allegiance to Parisian couture remains unfazed. As the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode states, “Haute Couture is a French exception and as the name of the Federation indicates, it lies at the heart of fashion’s ecosystem.”
From sculpted corsets to mythical wonderlands, the first day of the Spring Summer 2021 shows were all works of art, shattering the pretty perception of couture to reveal a toughness that can withstand anything.
Christian Dior Brings Good Fortune
Christian Dior’s creative director, Italian-born Maria Grazia Chiuri, was inspired by the psychic power of mysticism, as she incorporated elements of otherworldly magic within the brand’s latest couture collection. Sartorially speaking, spiritual characters were brought to life with soft silhouettes of a medievalesque era. The Fool, representing new beginnings and opportunity, casts a spell in a flouncy dress with illustrations by Pietro Ruffo prancing about. The classic Dior Bar Jacket also makes an appearance in lush black velvet, harkening back to the maison’s classic past. In Chiuri’s own words, when describing the looks: “…couture remains the ultimate territory of experimentation and possibility.” We may not know what our future holds but in Dior’s case, fortune favors the bold.
Giambattista Valli Turns Up the Volume
Italian designer Giambattista Valli celebrated the world of Spanish Flamenco in all its ruffled glory. A virtual cinematic peek into the collection, directed by Oleg Covian, featured distinguishable claps and robust drum patterns of traditional Flamenco music, as models walked in rhythm to the beat. Floral masks by Coco Lucquiaud for Valli graced a few of the models faces (giving a striking relief to the dreaded blue surgical masks we’re so used to sporting.) Valli coloured outside the lines with obtuse shapes, teasing us with yards of cotton candy tulle; overall, the collection was a sugar high of confectioned looks.
It was all about the Bold and the Beautiful for Schiaparelli
If Lady Gaga’s Inauguration performance in Schiaparelli was the main event, Daniel Roseberry’s Spring 2021 Couture collection was the standing ovation. Every piece was a sculptural wonder. The American designer wasn’t shy about highlighting the form of the female body within the collection, outfitting corsets with rock hard abs — a counterintuitive approach to the creampuff allure of haute couture.
“I wanted to challenge the idea of what couture is, and should be, by making clothes that respect the tradition of not only this Maison, but the artistry behind it, while at the same time exploding the cliches associated with the genre,” Roseberry said.
Iris van Herpen Goes Under the Microscope
Dubbed “Roots of Rebirth,” Iris van Herpen’s collection aced biology. Taking inspiration from nature, Herpen unearthed 21 looks that embraced “…a symbiosis of high technology and the artisanal craftsmanship of couture, through a collection that references the intricacy of fungi and the entanglement of life that breathes beneath our feet.”
Organic seams took flight with prongs of fabric moving in harmony as models walked into frame. Scientist Merlin Sheldrake’s book, Entangled Life, was the main source of inspiration as the collection paid homage to the miniature world of fungi that’s often taken for granted–save for the occasional truffle-filled dish ordered off the menu. In his words, “Thinking about fungi makes the world look different. These astonishing organisms challenge our animal imaginations and make questions of many of our well-worn concepts, from individuality to intelligence.”
Lead image courtesy of Schiaparelli, Iris van Herpen and Dior