Paris Fashion Week : A VESTI Review
by VESTI
collage by Franco Bugna
The VESTI team shares some of their insights on the recent shows at Paris Fashion Week - their picks for top looks, collections, moments, and presentations.
Deemed as the fashion capital, details and inspiration springing from these highly regarded shows may influence upcoming trends and how it translate to Filipino design sensibilities at the global stage.
MARTHA RODRIGUEZ
Founder/CEO, VESTI
Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com
There’s a striking emotional balance and dominance of splendor and subtleness, of black and white, of surrealism and modern silhouettes with gold accents conveying feminism, positivity and regal from Daniel Roseberry’s collection for Schiaperelli. As I watched his brilliant pieces coming down the runway, I could not help but wonder, the long hours of labor and creativity and love poured into the craftsmanship of haute couture up-close. So striking that it is very empowering, sensualizing and revolting. One of my favourites from this collection is the eye-catching yet soaring gold neckpiece around the model’s neck worn with a white folded over off-shoulder and black darted bodice paired with wide-leg flowy trousers. Ingenious, spectacular and relevant to today’s challenging times. A perfect reminder that Schiaperelli comes to resurrect hope and continues to inspire us all.
Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com
I found myself daydreaming of Angelina Jolie’s character Thena from The Eternals wearing all of Kim Jones’ Fendi collection. Classic silhouettes with a spiritual energy embracing the wearers’ bodies. That kind of transformation of beauty and timelessness, that less is more with emphasis on execution, feminity and power. Particularly love Fendi’s long evening sleeveless white gown with an armour 3D effect of Roman details and prints and metallic silver embroidery.
Photo: Arnaud Lajeunie / Courtesy of Jean Paul Gaultier
Drama is Jean Paul Gaultier’s one word description of his collection. Models’ face covered in sheer fabrics but completely standout with hourglass silhouettes. Whimsical, fun and iconic with play of textures, colours and flair. I particularly love the long sheer dresses with colourful prints patterned after waves as it feasts on my senses!
Photo: Courtesy of Giambattista Valli
Parisian glamour can sometimes be overly fantasied but for Giambattita Valli’s pieces, it felt like the models were not just walking the streets but just having fun around the staircases and houses. From frou-frous, to ruffled sleeves to ballgowns, it is bursting energy of being present and alive. I particularly love his classic side bow draped gowns, having a similar yet unexpected turn. Simply Valli!
Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
For a grand opening, it was Chanel’s show with Monaco’s Princess Charlotte dressed in a classic tweed Chanel jacket riding the horse. It was later explained by Chanel’s artistic director Virginia Viard that he is inspired by the classic Chanel and with the sport that the pieces can be worn “playing golf or riding a horse”. Most of the pieces that were shown emphasised the tailored classic jackets of Chanel. One particular look that stood out was the tweed sheath dress with feathers on the side. For me, it was flirty, fun and really girly.
collage by Franco Bugna
JAN VILLALON
Marketing Intern, VESTI
One of the most awaited fashion events filled with glamour and sublime moments has started this 24th of January with Paris Haute Couture Week and we’re loving it! The star studded event definitely served looks that we just can’t get enough of like Rosamund Pike who exudes timelessness in a cinched maxi black dress paired with a classic white shirt, black tie, black laced platform boots and bejewelled veil which she wore at the Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2022 show. We are in awe of this gender neutral look that oozes in classiness and elegance.
Another well-known celebrity and fashion icon we all love, Heart Evangelista’s sophisticated and stylish looks definitely caught our attention. Out of all the looks she rocked, our top pick would be her own spin on layering with Louis Vuitton pieces for that perfect cold weather OOTD. The fashion icon wore an oversized monogram jacket, black leather fur coat paired with knee-high cowboy boots in gold, and bright yellow Louis Vuitton purse. We love how she stunningly layered her winter pieces with various prints into something fun yet chic — truly a trendsetter in the fashion world!
Top 5 Paris Fashion Week Looks
Jean Paul Gaultier Spring Couture 2022
Emma Chamberlain decked in Louis Vuitton PFW 2022
Zuhair Murad Spring Couture 2022
Wisdom Kaye in PFW 2022
Alaïa Fall RTW 2022
FRANCO BUGNA
Product Development Intern, VESTI
The fashion industry has moved to a new digital format since the pandemic began to make it more accessible to everyone. Despite this, nothing matches a good, old-fashioned fashion week, filled with a variety of physical performances that bring life and color to the city of love. Fashion Week in Paris featured many celebrities and well- known personalities such as Heart Evangelista in a classy outfit, Emily In Paris's Camille Razat, Anna Wintour, and designers such as Schiaparelli, Jean- Paul Gaultier, Zuhair Murad, and many others showcasing their spring/fall collections 2022.
collage by Franco Bugna
Even though the pandemic has changed the way people interact with apparel, the fashion industry continues to experiment with new ideas to empower individuals throughout the globe. This Paris Fashion Week Spring/Fall 2022 features many amazing pieces, from beadwork to prints, all of which have a narrative to tell and are incredibly encouraging and inspiring in the area of artistry. Despite the obstacles, the fashion industry continues to innovate and adapt new techniques and inspirations in order to stay ahead of the game in the face of the pandemic. This year, we're even more excited for the next fashion show.
Top 5 Paris Fashion Week Collections
Schiaparelli Spring Couture 2022
“Creative Director Daniel Roseberry’s of Schiaparelli creates a collection called the “call of the void”. It's not as bleak as it seems, according to the French word "l'appel du vide". It's an intrusive idea that validates our want to live from a psychological standpoint. In his Place Vendôme salons, Roseberry said that surrounded by orbiting dresses and planetary purses. "The lack of this reality is referred to as a void. In works fashioned in the visions of the cosmos and the science fiction we link to it; Roseberry achieved his goal. A black canvas corset bodice woven with black flowers in jacquard wrapped a gilded metal bustier that wasn’t just for show. This season's Schiaparelli collection is definitely one of the most breathtaking.”
Jean Paul Gaultier Spring Couture 2022
“This season's Jean Paul Gaultier by Glenn Martens Couture line is one-of-a-kind. Martens studied from Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2008 and was hired by Gaultier as a junior designer for his women's pre-collection and the G2 men's labels when he graduated from Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Martens combined Gaultier classics like corsetry, sailor stripes, and Aran knits with many of his Y/Project hallmarks, such as skirts that seem to hang from bodysuits, 3D metal flowers, wire-rigged materials, and his "seam allowance" method. Some gowns conveyed a more medieval feel, with a fog of molded black organza surrounding the form or trailing crinkled, undulating mounds of fabric that reminded me of a tongue of lava, no doubt a nod to Martens' homeland of Bruges' gothic architecture.”
Zuhair Murad Spring Couture 2022
“Zuhair Murad was born beneath a traveling star; no matter how constrained or difficult the situation, he's got tickets in hand and he's ready to fly in his mind's eye. His unique bedazzled gowns and elaborate beadwork are well-known to the world. A crimson crop top and skirt set, for example, or an emerald green off- the-shoulder dress, are examples of the effect. Cow spots spilled over a tunic dress or a bow blouse, made in Moroccan crêpe and lace with beading are among the new advancements. A bright vegetable print on a lace-up caftan would undoubtedly appeal to Murad's base, who is a maximalist at heart. It's all part of the pleasure that some of the gold, sequin, and crystal- encrusted pieces drift closer toward rodeo-fabulous. Even though the pandemic has changed the way people interact with apparel, the fashion industry continues to experiment with new ideas to empower individuals throughout the globe.”
Louis Vuitton Men Fall 2022
"With these compilations, I feel as if I'm writing a book." "It's one continuous logic about design and diversity," Virgil Abloh explained. The collection and video were dubbed Amen Break by Abloh, a great metaphor for how a 1969 original drum break by the Winstons, a funk and soul band, became the most sampled drum beat ever. This collection has become a source of inspiration as well as a voice of unity and diversity.
Rahul Mishra Spring Couture 2022
“Rahul Mishra would be considered one of the greats if photorealism could be extended to apparel. It's difficult to distinguish between the couturier's design process and his bucolic lifestyle in the hills. His third season of exhibiting online is Spring Couture 2022. It's no easy achievement to be halfway across the world from where the action is and work in the midst of the third wave, but Mishra perseveres. On a frigid morning, tulle is shirred to simulate the movement of the breeze, while a translucent yellow structure resembles warm sunlight. In bedazzled dresses, the positioning of petals is re-engineered. Butterflies are adorning a thin orange anarkali. With his wide-eyed stare and distinctive craftsmanship, this designer attracted the attention of the audience this season as he goes forward in a shape-shifting world.”
collage by Franco Bugna
GELO SALANGA
Marketing Director, VESTI
There was a collective sense of solemnity as the shows for spring couture and fall men paraded down various beautifully gilded halls in Paris - the city of love, lights, and fashion. It might be the trail end hangover from the holidays, or the very dangerous threat that omicron swathed over Europe and the rest of the world, or the passing of influential and dearly beloved fashion heroes André Leon Talley, Manfred Thierry Mugler, and Gaspard Ulliel but solemn as it were, there’s no denying the palpable and dignified energy of an industry opening up the light after a cumbersome period brought by a pandemic. This time, fashion means inspiration, it means hope, it means ready to fight.
The standout belle of the season belongs to no other than Filipina muse and artist Heart Evangelista. Her outing became the most celebrated and photographed moments during the whole season. Looks after looks, interest in fashion spend has also increased for the brands that Evangelista carried - stamping a true Filipino presence and influence in the global fashion conversation. She was the star of the season, and VESTI is proud to be friends with her.
Heart Evangelista at Paris 2022
Heart Evangelista with her VESTI Jetsetter 2.0 bag
Top Picks: Best Collection Looks
Schiaparelli Spring Couture 2022 is the show of the season. Daniel Roseberry earnest desire to keep the house’s signature surrealist identity has been elevated to a new realm merging high art and high fashion. Adding sophisticated looks, the wearable art accessories gilded in gold are the trend-setting future forward moment a thirsty industry needed.
This particular look, one of the most subdued in the line up, stands out as the perfect representation of the brand’s quality tailoring, impeccable fit, pristine styling, and their dreamlike eye-catching accessories albeit in a more accessible and easily digestible presentation.
Kim Jones’ revitalization of Dior Men put forth the brand as the industry leading force in menswear especially innovative tailoring and styling. Making traditionally perceived feminine elements mix well with the taste of the modern gentleman. Colors and textures that play up this gender-bending notions proved to be profitable.
This particular look hearkens to Jones’ now iconic Dior suit with sash silhouette but also moves forward to its newest iteration, a knot - further blurring the lines of what is acceptable in often traditionally classic industry but proposing to move forward with new innovations and details.
Lebanese house ASHI Studio surely but strongly inched its way, season after season, to becoming an industry favorite during couture calendar. With clientele spanning from entertainment, business, and royalty that anticipate their newest offering.
Classic ASHI silhouettes and fabric manipulations walked down in their spring couture 2022 but this gray number certainly catches the eye. A monochromatic crisp look that immaculately showcases the house technical proficiency in tailoring, suiting, and proportions will be an instant classic.
Azzaro’s understated luxury has always been front and center in their presentations with loyal fans and customers keeping a steady interest to the brand.
The brand’s Fall 2022 RTW collection ventures in a more exciting route with smart yet fashion forward pieces easily interchangeable and showcased in a unisex fashion- especially the tailored suits. Case in point the androgynous look in metallic holographic tech material that is both now and the future - both masculine and feminine. Simply, they just got it right.
Perennial couture darling Elie Saab never fails to tickle the fanciest of our confectionary dreams every time his opulent shows and garbs walk down a runway - such is the case this spring couture 2022 showing.
While one can already expect certain elements or silhouettes that are very Elie Saab-y - yet the house and the designer always manage to keep things fresh looking, ever aspirational, and dazzlingly inspiring. The master hands that meticulously create these wonderful creations be blessed. This pink and green foliage nude gown particularly piqued an interest with its poetic silhouette, soft and light materials, yet very doting and edgy styling.
collage by Franco Bugna