Cool Girl's Guide to Paris Couture Week

photo courtesy of Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv

It is, without a doubt, a rebellious time in the fashion industry. Haute couture, French for "high fashion," is making a powerful transition from princess-like couture to rebellious, statement-making apparel. Sure, classics like Dior (though abandoned by head designer Raf Simons and temporarily being manned by his understudies) and Chanel persist with the typical, grand, haute couture designs, other fashion houses are taking Fall Couture Week to a whole new level.

photo courtesy of Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv

Perhaps most talked about during couture week was the Vetements Spring 2017 Ready-to-Wear show, which was held at a department store and curated looks featuring 18 other brands. The large scale collaboration most notably included Levi's, Dr. Martens, Reebok, Comme des Garçons, Champion, and Juicy Couture. Heavy denim, sportswear, and a unique take on workwear were apparent in the ever-so-chic collection.

photos courtesy of Marcus Tondo / Indigital.tv

Maison Margiela showed us that the era of John Galliano isn't close to being over. Galliano, known to reference French history (specifically revolutionary times) in his art, married urban streetwear with a nod to French military past. Galliano's Maison Margiela makes a powerful statement through its art-- a clash between today's youth and history's past.

photo courtesy of Guo Pei

An astounding moment during Paris Couture week came from none other than Guo Pei. Pei, a famous Chinese designer, is rising in fame after designing Rihanna’s trailing yellow gown at the 2015 Met Ball. With fiber-optic, glossy, and high-shine fabrics and textures, a superior level of craftsmanship was evident throughout the entire collection. Instead of portraying women as graceful, delicate creatures (as reflected in the shows of Valentino, Elie Saab, and Giambattista Valli), Pei depicts women as strong, powerful, influential, while upholding the most beautiful elements of femininity. 

photos courtesy of Marcus Tondo / Indigital.tv

Russian culture has always been an influential and prevalent factor in Ulyana Sergeenko's collections, and this fall's couture show was no exception. However, Sergeenko and business partner Frol Burimskiy decided to tone down the usual over-the-top-ness and were inspired by the 60s childhood their parents grew up with. The optimistic, utopian society both Sergeenko and Burimskiy described is apparent in their sleek collection.

 photos courtesy of Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv

A shocker to some, Atelier Versace dialed down its usual over-the-top sensual sleekness. Donatella's Versace brought beautiful, unique color combinations and classy sequined pieces, which can be difficult to pull off (usually). Donatella has definitely left us drooling over that deep lavender jacket one could easily imagine gracing the shoulders of a chic fashion blogger.

All of this is not to say classic Haute Couture has fallen out of style or not well designed (we highly encourage you to explore Giambattista Valli's couture collection), rather, a new form of haute couture is being explored. More chic, sleek, and powerful couture fashion weeks are ahead of us, and we could not be more thrilled to see what comes next.