Related article: Lupita Nyong’o, Riley Keough And Parisienne Pink At CHANEL Fall 2023 Couture At Chanel, Virginie Viard placed intense focus on the beauty of French couture handwork and techniques that have existed for centuries, like embroidery, embellishing, trimming, appliqué and beading – elements that ensure the very act of wearing couture inherently means wearing the hours of labour that go into creating each one-of-a-kind masterpiece. As described by the Maison, the collection fused ‘the allure of classical costume with the lives and expectations of the women of today,’ reiterating the relevance of haute couture in contemporary society as a platform for creative and cultural exchange. Related article: Son Ye-jin, Florence Pugh And Emma Chamberlain Muse On Valentino’s Dreamy Fall/Winter 2023/24 Couture CollectionĪ post shared by Harper's BAZAAR Singapore Grazia Chiuri reinterpreted Greco-Roman myth and costume in her collection for Dior, contrasting classical sculptural silhouettes with shimmering embellishments that reflected a timeless sense of vitality.

In Piccioli we trust, and we tend to agree the true value of a haute couture garment is not its price tag, but rather, the human hands that have crafted it into existence. At sunset, a swathe of artisans joined Piccioli on the runway for the show’s finale, their grins and watering eyes saying everything. The aristocratic grandeur of feathers and gemstones stood in contrast to a more streamlined ‘of the moment’ couture. Described by the Maison as ‘minimal maximalism,’ the collection’s silhouettes were effortless, its colour palette vivacious, and its headdresses towering at the best of times. Drawing a symbolic parallel between the unfathomably-grand French estate and haute couture itself as a ‘forum for equality and openness’, Pierpaolo Piccioli celebrated the power of the artform to unite artisans, craftspeople and humans from all walks of life in a universal creative exchange. But it wasn’t just castles for castle’s sake. Naturally, Château de Chantilly was the backdrop of choice for Valentino Haute Couture. Maybe the true beauty of haute couture lies in the hours, stitches and stories that go into crafting every collection a shared spirit of creation that transcends the physical garments themselves.Ī post shared by Harper's BAZAAR Singapore a thing of beauty by many standards. Perhaps the real ‘beauty’ is not only witnessed on the runway. This season, Fendi said beauty is subtlety and flexibility, Valentino said beauty is the opulence of the past for a new generation, and Thom Browne said beauty is a melancholic opera in grey.

But a glimmering swish of this, a gothic shock of that, and everything else in between, seems to suggest that a cohesive idea of ‘beauty’ does not exist in couture as it may have in past decades. Subjective interpretations of these collections is, of course, part of haute couture’s allure. It also served up a question we’re still musing on: What is beautiful? Is a hand-embroidered cape with flowers crafted from feathers beautiful? Or is a 3D-printed chrome resin armour dress beautiful?Ĭorrect answer is, there isn’t one. Simplicity or theatrics? Femininity or neutrality? Tradition or progression? As always, Paris Haute Couture Week served up a tantalising banquet of contrasts.

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