Women’s Paris Fashion Week Report SS20

Bonjour from the city of amour, where Browns CEO Holli Rogers, buying director Ida Petersson and buying manager Heather Gramston have reached their final stop in the fashion month circus: Paris. Ida’s favourite moments from the week? “Issey Miyake made me smile; the energy was electric,” she recalls. “Rick Owens blew my mind with a striking collection that was more colourful than ever.” Read on to find out more about what fashion month’s grand finale had in store...

Day One
8.30pm: Saint Laurent’s SS20 spectacle is the kind of fashion extravaganza that could only be possible in the City of Light, set directly underneath The Eiffel Tower on a catwalk illuminated by strobes which lit up the night sky. As for the clothes themselves, Anthony Vaccarello takes us on a trip down memory lane, reimagining the classic Le Smoking suit with micro shorts and cut-off jeans. Business-casual vibes are replaced with bohemian romance, as peasant smocks, gold paisley embroidered dresses and pleated lamé skirts, all topped off with turban-tied Lurex head scarves, take their turn. For the finale, Queen Naomi Campbell ends the show, looking Le Smoking hot in a sparkling update of the iconic suit.

Day Two
11am: Sex and glamour are the buzzwords surrounding Mugler SS20, Casey Cadwallader’s third collection for the house, which acts as a love letter to the designer’s original work from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Underwear becomes outerwear in the form of lingerie-inspired corsets and flattering, figure-hugging black, navy and yellow negligees. In a largely refined palette of monochrome, the house’s classic power suiting is expanded to oversized proportions and worn with leather cycling shorts or low-slung trousers (or just derrière-lifting stockings, as per Bella Hadid’s opening look.)

Day Three
3pm: For Glenn Martens’ latest Y/Project collection, the designer tells Vogue that his vibe was ‘la Belle Époque on acid’, an aesthetic he brought to life via sleek satin, lustrous velvet and outsized ruffles. Over 52 looks, Glenn celebrates female sexuality, delivering flowing gowns, skin-tight dresses and double denim alongside his usual deconstructed knitwear.

6pm: Last season, Rick Owens treated us to an homage to his Mexican heritage. This collection is the second act, inspired by his 87-year-old mother, presenting a defiant response to anti-immigration political ideas that have been swirling in recent times. His preferred location of the Palais de Tokyo is filled with bubbles, offsetting these adult issues with a touch of innocence. Models are transformed into goddesses, with half-bald heads covered in Aztec-inspired geometric headpieces. Silhouettes are sculptural, merging the traditional with the futuristic, and hot pink, gold, black, ruby red and iridescent chainmail feature heavily throughout.

Day Four
12.30pm: By day four, everyone’s in need of a lift and Satoshi Kondo knows it. After working at Issey Miyake for over a decade, Satoshi makes his debut as head designer, presenting a collection titled ‘A Sense of Joy’. This is no ordinary catwalk show, but instead a theatrical performance with models dancing, jumping, skateboarding and twirling their way down the runway. The 77 looks are a riot of colour, with hand-painted, technical, pleated fabrics at the collection’s heart. A highlight is when colourful pleated dresses appear from the sky on giant rings, each containing a dress which they release onto a model’s body as the rings descend from sky to runway. The pure optimism emanating from the show is catching, as even the stoniest of faces in the audience break out into smiles. Satoshi’s mission is accomplished; joy is felt by all.

Day Five
10.30am: Haider Ackermann wants to talk about our waists. Whether it’s using cinched-in tailoring with sexy cut-outs; plissé bands of colour wrapping and twisting around the torso; or big belts that accentuate an hourglass figure, Haider wants us to accentuate our waists this season. As usual, the Colombian-born designer offers a collection free from gender associations, with the focus being instead on the highest quality and the lushest fabrics, which have been twisted, folded and tucked into his signature sharp silhouettes. Sculptural, sensual and powerful - a strong note on which to finish the SS20 show season.

Words: Sophy Davis Russell

Related Reading:

Part One: Women’s London Fashion Week Report SS20
Part Two: Women’s Milan Fashion Week Report SS20

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