With plenty of British influence on this year’s Paris fashion week schedule, we’re expecting some of the event’s most anticipated shows.
Famous for its haute couture ateliers, Paris is the undisputed world capital of fashion. In the 1920s and 1930s, thanks to designers like Coco Chanel and Madeleine Vionnet, the city imbued a regime of style, and subsequently attracted a global yearning for luxury fashion. At the time, photographers were strictly prohibited from attending fashion shows, as couturiers suspected them of being spies for others who might wish to copy their pieces. Eventually, due to mounting pressure from the rapidly developing American market, Paris and its illustrious roster of designers opened their doors for people to see, if they could afford it.
The first official Paris Fashion Week was in 1973, and today it’s become more theatrical than ever, with outlandish set designs and novelty moments contributing to the success of a show. When British couturiers John Galliano and Alexander McQueen respectively took over Christian Dior and Givenchy, they heightened the world’s glitz with controversial collections and lavish runway shows. Fashion renegades went to Paris and tore up the rule book, forever changing the French catwalks as they introduced their intricate pattern cutting and technical flair to the masses.
Since then Britain has had a growing impact on Paris fashion week. Its axis is shifting in favor of the unconventional coming from places like Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art. With a plethora of native designers showcasing their work for FW23 menswear next week, we’re highlighting some of the hottest shows. expected from the event.
Grace Wales Bonner MBE: The heir to Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton tossed?
Two years after her Paris fashion week debut, where she explored the origins of dancehall music and its ubiquitous style, Grace Wales Bonner returns to ‘the City of Love’ for AW23. Many fashion insiders are pointing to her as the successor to Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton and, with an innate knack for bridging heritage and modern culture, it’s easy to see why. Grace’s early collections explore the sociohistorical connections between her British and Caribbean ancestry, resonating across genres despite being made for the menswear runway. With Louis Vuitton yet to confirm an heir, AW23 could be a defining moment for Grace and the Wales Bonner brand.
Bianca Saunders: The Jamaican-British designer bodes well for a return to Paris
Starting her eponymous label in 2017, Bianca Saunders first appeared in Paris last year. The south-east London creative references identity through style and subculture, keeping an eye for chic tailoring and soulful pattern cutting. Collaborations with storied brands like Farah and Wrangler have lifted Bianca to new heights, invoking her families’ Jamaican roots along the way. As she returns to France for the second time, she expects another triumph in minimalist design.
Kiko Kostadinov: Robust Fluency From Stüssy Contributor CSM Graduate
Supported by the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN programme, Kiko Kostadinov is one of the most highly regarded designers to have graduated from Central Saint Martins in recent years. The London-based, Bulgarian-born creative has been praised by many critics on recent Paris runways for his wearable asymmetrical cuts and disproportionate shapes, which nod to futurism and fluidity. With regular and apocalyptic Asics collaborations, fans of the cult brand will be keeping an eye on this show to see what comes next.
Paul Smith: Accessible suits that strike a chord with young millennials
Since Paul Smith opened his small 10-by-10-foot shop in Nottingham 53 years ago, he’s built a tailoring institution that shows no signs of slowing down. Knighted at the turn of the century, his ability to draw inspiration from anything and sew it into the fabric of his designs has attracted a variety of admirers. Thanks to the recent rise in popularity of suits, Paul remains a major figure in British fashion, and he’s heading to Paris once again for a masterclass in impeccable tailoring.
Loewe: Jonathan Anderson celebrates a decade at the helm
Established in 1846, Loewe is one of the oldest luxury brands in fashion. The brand’s humble beginnings as specialists in leather handbags laid the foundation for it to become an institution worn by the likes of A$AP Rocky. However, Loewe hasn’t always been the cutting-edge house that it is today; Jonathan Anderson, best known as the founder of JW Anderson, undoubtedly revolutionized the brand when he took over in 2013. Today, everyone wants in on the action, and as the Northern Irish designer celebrates ten years at the helm, this season’s collection It is one of his most anticipated to date.
Source: news.google.com