Images: Imaxtree
The Spring 2018 haute couture season in Paris has come to an end and the industry’s elite are now departing the City of Light. Maria Grazia Chiuri held Christian Dior’s show the day after what would have been the legendary couturier’s 113th birthday (amidst our forums demanding she be fired from the position) and Karl Lagerfeld staged Chanel’s show under the glass roof of the Grand Palais, erecting a tranquil garden setting for the occasion (showcasing a total snoozefest). Pierpaolo Piccioli may have shown his strongest Valentino collection to date (receiving a standing ovation on our forums), while Alexandre Vauthier dialed up the drama and made his models stomp down the runway, perfectly evoking the mood of the 80s. All the while, our no-holds-barred forum members have been at hand throughout the week giving their verdicts on all the hits and misses of the season.
Haute Couture Hits & Misses
-
HIT: Armani Privé
"Best thing Armani's done in a while. This actually looks young and fun for once." [StoneSkipper]
"Beautiful colors, beautiful prints, beautiful materials. All around a gorgeous show!" [AnaD]
"This is great, this is fresh and this is what we needed. Armani is very traditional and I like that it's very youthful without being 'teenage-ish'. It's very beautiful, there are a lot of techniques and it looks so rich." [Lola701]
-
MISS: Chanel
"It's a shame that Karl is at the end of his career — and possibly his life — and he's not even trying anymore. I wish he gave us a few fantastic collections before saying goodbye. This is very underwhelming." [dodencebt]
"Oh Karl. I think his is the most underwhelming couture collection in the past few years. There's nothing new at all. I mean, even the set design is boring. I was expecting more." [TaylorBinque]
"A total snoozefest and also... a 70-look collection and only TWO black models cast? Over it." [Mea Culpa]
-
HIT: Maison Margiela
"I think this is Galliano's breakthrough moment at Margiela. Somehow during this show everything came together for me in a way that hadn't since his debut. The black pieces which are 'activated' by a flash are incredibly smart." [dodencebt]
"I'm so happy to have John spark my interest in fashion again. Between the ridiculousness of Vetements and the annoying 'irony' of the Alessandro Micheles of the world on one side and the dull boredom of many others on the other, here comes someone that doesn't care about trends and it's new and interesting and exciting and fun and exquisite in its details." [mistress_f]
"Lifting the middle finger to Balenciaga yet again! This is what I live for. Abstract, fantasy, eeriness, rounded out by unparalleled creativity." [Benn98]
-
MISS: Givenchy
"This is terrible. OMG. I thought she was more talented." [Creative]
"First part: very Maria Grazia Chiuri (aka depressing and somber). Second part: she tried a bit of Riccardo Tisci modern approach to couture. She fails. Third part: she had to finish the collection, so she played lottery with patterns and this is what turned out." [jeanclaude]
"It's... gowns? I mean really, just your regular red carpet gowns. I don't think this needed a show because there's nothing extraordinary to show for. Just make a showroom appointment with the celebrity stylists and be done with it." [Marc10]
-
HIT: Schiaparelli
"Absolutely beautiful, one of my favourite Schiaparelli collections so far." [Wintergreen]
"My fave show of the day. The cast was simply amazing, great diversity. The ambience was great as well and the clothes looked amazing." [Scouting Snapper]
"Fantastic collection with an amazing ensemble of models to match." [Nomar]
-
MISS: Alexandre Vauthier
"Clearly, someone spends too much time flipping the pages of Vogue Paris. Alexandre, you aren't Ronald van der Kemp so please, STOP IT!" [Lola701]
"Oh God, the shiny plaid Hammer pants and the Chanel-esque mini jackets. So bad, so camp, and so costume-y! I cannot!" [AnaD]
"He used to just be sexy glamorous tacky and fun. Not sure when this all spiraled down so quickly." [RedSmokeRise]
-
HIT: Valentino
"O.M.G. VALENTINO! F.L.A.W.L.E.S.S. Best collection of the week, best collection of the past few seasons, even years. This is a fashion moment and those pictures do no justice to those clothes. You can see the passion, the talent, the expertise. I cried, I've watched it three times already!" [Lola701]
"For me this is a real winner of the season. After takes and turns he is pushing toward a new direction, he has finally arrived. I think this is his best collection since he took control at the house and it shows everything. His passion, his talent and his confidence. Absolutely wonderful collection. The colors are magnificent. I really adore this." [TaylorBinque]
"What a delight this collection is! To me, this is what couture should look like in the modern day and age..." [dodencebt]
-
MISS: Christian Dior
"Please god of fashion, fire this woman. I just can't anymore with her. She is the epitome of boredom." [GivenchyAddict]
"Wow, each season I'm convinced it cannot get any worse and she comes and outdoes herself. I'd like to know on which criteria Dior hired her. Because this is just yet another Valentino rip-off. Fine if you're Elie Saab, embarrassing if you're supposed to rival Chanel. I agree, it's time they put an end to this farce!" [Benn98]
"This collection gave me a headache, there's just too much going on! And so many dresses look ill-fitted, what a shame for a house like Dior." [sixtdaily]
-
HIT: Elie Saab
"Love it. Compared to Dior, Vauthier, Givenchy and Armani disasters. Beautiful!!" [gossiping]
"The gowns are gorgeous as always, but I loved the jewelry, mostly the asymmetrical earrings." [marismm]
"The bows are so distracting. But overall it's still a beautiful collection as always." [Littleathquakes]
-
MISS: Giambattista Valli
"Why does this line still exist? It's hideous and redundant. The fabrics are so ugly, then they top it off with those bows. The dresses at the end look like those cheap prom dresses from China that you order off eBay. It's all so tacky, and not in a good way. What happened to him?" [GivenchyHomme]
"Really just more of the same." [Nomar]
"There are some pretty dresses here and there but the puffy nightmares at the end are truly bad (as usual) and it feels like I've already seen 90 percent of this done better by other designers." [mistress_f]
-
HIT: Guo Pei
"I like this! It reminds me of sea life and the 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' at the same time." [June]
"I think this is beautiful and it reminds me a lot of her early work, which I loved. I like how all the models look like they came out of a fantasy novel or something." [Nomar]
-
MISS: Ralph & Russo
"I think this is the worst collection I've ever seen from them. It looks undone. There's a visible zipper on the side of the breast of one gown, the seams are choppy at the bottom of another. There's nothing special or unique about ANY of this. It's incredibly cheap-looking, especially for couture." [happycanadian]
"It's funny and ironic, because this is haute couture but it doesn't feel exclusive and special at all. It feels generic, mass-made, without any passion. No experimentation nor risk, just standard pretty clothes full of embroideries and random ornaments for rich women." [jeanclaude]
"Well this brand was never on the cutting edge of innovation, but even by their standards this looks sloppy." [AnaD]
-
MISS: Viktor & Rolf
"Wonder which intern application they stole this collection from. It's really nothing special either way. I'm not a fan of this kind of style, and bar the closing dress, nothing excites me or catches my eye." [StoneSkipper]
"This collection's mood board was probably a children's party invite." [YohjiAddict]
"What’s the purpose of this brand at this point?" [kenndale]
-
MISS: Jean Paul Gaultier
"Is it me or does this look somewhat cheap? It seems dated as well, like early 2000s dated, and not even a particularly good version of that." [AnaD]
"I know Pierre Cardin was there and that JPG used to work for him but some looks are very Cardin in the most dated way. Love JPG but for someone who is doing two shows/year, this is quite weak for my taste." [Lola701]
"It feels too 2008 to me. I did like the suits, the fringe dresses, the white prairie dress...and that's about it." [YohjiAddict]
-
MISS: Iris van Herpen
"Iris' work is magical, but her magic is becoming repetitive. She needs to move forward." [ThatDudeOverTher]
"One (3-D printed) trick pony..." [jeanclaude]
"The installations on the ceiling are more interesting than the clothes." [GivenchyHomme]
