Vaquera, Christian Dior
Catching up on the first two big shows of Paris Fashion Week so far, editor Hetty Mahlich commends Vaquera for keeping their bite while branching out to include a more commercial customer, noting denim has become one of their bread and butter pieces, adding a sleekness without Losing their 'DIY identity'. Reversing to an entirely different aesthetic, Mahlich then looks at Dior, a storied house with a customer as elegant as its past. Despite acknowledging the trajectory of Maria Grazia Chiuri's Dior and her simplistic vision, Mahlich welcomes the strength and grit showcased by the artistic director this season, resulting in clothes that had 'a raw feeling about them' -something that feels 'both fitting to the house and Chiuri herself'.
Róisín Pierce, Dries Van Noten
There have been a lot of conversations swirling around the fashion industry this season, mainly concerning the idea of the male genius as showcased during Milan fashion week and the overall gender imbalance when it comes to creative directors. However, according to editor Hetty Mahlich and editorial assistant Joshua Graham, this isn't the case with Róisín Pierce and Dries Van Noten, both notoriously known to frequently work with 'hyper-feminine' themes in their work. Both successfully subverted expectations of femininity, Pierce with her textured designs that acted 'as armour' and Van Noten who told us 'what the Dries woman look like if she was a rockstar's girlfriend.'
Givenchy, Schiaparelli, Off-White
Legacy is the word of the day for editor Hetty Mahlich and editorial assistant Joshua Graham who are delving into the past, present and futures of Givenchy, Schiaparelli, Off-White. First they discuss how American designers Matthew Williams and Daniel Roseberry have transformed their respective maisons. The former, known for his industrial leanings, presented a more refined collection dominated by sleek tailoring which Mahlich dubs 'a triumph'. Moving on to Roseberry our editorial duo remark on his first ready-to-wear show for Schiaparelli expertly transitioning couture techniques to everyday garments. Closing off the day with Off-White it's clear that art and image director Ibrahim Kamara is an expert as stirring buzz, but it's yet to be determined if that can be translated to clothes.
Coperni, Victoria Beckham
When it comes to fashion week there's no better time for a brand to put on a spectacle. That’s where editor Hetty Mahlich begins with her latest round-up delving into the shows of Coperni and Victoria Beckham. The former — who broke the internet last season with Bella Hadid’s spray-on dress — looked to up the ante with robot dogs undressing models. While the brand has always been inspired by technology Mahlich questions how exactly this stunt pushed the conversation. Then she delves into Victoria Beckham’s second outing in Paris and how the brand is continuing to develop its design language.
Nina Ricci, Ann Demeulemeester
For day five of Paris Fashion Week, Mahlich dissects two designer debuts, revealed as two designer rebrands; Ludovic de Saint Sernin for Ann Demeulemeester and Harris Reed for Nina Ricci but what did Mahlich think? Without giving it all away, at least de Saint Sernin can make clothes...
Balenciaga, Valentino
In Mahlich’s final round-up of the season, she delves into the clean slates presented by Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino and Demna for Balenciaga. The former moved away from the signature saturated pink hue that has defined previous collections in favour of black tie dressing. Mahlich commends the styling with models stomping down the runway in leather biker boots over falling over in sky-high stilettos. As for Balenciaga, our editor notes that the shift away from the immersive showmanship of yore better highlights the talent of Demna as a designer.