Paris, in six looks
Nine days, ninety shows. The ideas that mattered, the clothes we wanted and the looks the city talked about.
Nine days, ninety shows, and more than four thousand looks. Paris fashion week is too big to see in full, so we did the work for you. These are the ideas that mattered, the clothes we wanted to wear and the six looks the whole city was talking about.
The mood: calm
After several loud seasons, Paris went quiet. The strongest collections used few colours, simple shapes and very good cloth. Designers showed coats you could wear for ten years and dresses with no decoration at all. The message was clear: buy less, and buy better.
Maison Verel opened the week with a collection in black, ivory and one deep red. Every piece was cut to move. A column dress in crepe had no seam at the side, and it floated a little behind the model as she walked.
At Aubier, the suit was the story. The jacket was long and soft, with a shoulder that followed the body. The trousers were wide and touched the floor. It looked relaxed and formal at once, and it will be copied everywhere.
Colour returns, slowly
There was colour, and it came in single, strong statements. One red dress. One green coat. One yellow bag carried with a grey suit. The effect was stronger than a whole collection of bright clothes.
The red silk dress that closed the Roussel show was the image of the week. It had long sleeves, a high neck and a skirt that reached the ground. It took 140 hours to make, and the atelier finished the hem on the morning of the show.
You do not need ten ideas in a collection. You need one idea and the courage to repeat it.
Hélène Roussel, backstage
The film strip
Swipe or drag to see more from the week: studio portraits, a hat that stopped the traffic and a final walk.
Hats are back
For the first time in years, hats were on almost every runway. They were wide, flat and worn low over the eyes. The best ones were in felt, in the same colour as the coat. A hat changes the way you hold your head, and the models walked differently because of it.
Behind the curtain
Backstage, the mood was as calm as the clothes. Hair was simple: a low knot or a clean side parting. Make-up was skin, a little colour on the cheek and, at three shows, a precise red lip. Several houses used the same fifteen models all week, which gave the shows a family feeling.
The practical news from backstage is about shoes. Almost every model wore flat shoes or a low, square heel. After years of very high heels, the designers want women to walk quickly and comfortably. We agree.
On the street
Outside the shows, the guests dressed like the runway. Long coats, wide trousers, a good bag and sunglasses, whatever the weather. The most common colour was a warm brown, from chocolate to tobacco. Few people carried a logo. The ones who looked best wore one strong thing, such as a hat, a red bag or a silk scarf, and kept the rest plain.
What it means for your wardrobe
You do not need to buy a new season. Take three ideas from Paris and use what you have.
- Wear one colour from head to toe, and add one bright accent
- Choose soft, long shapes over tight, short ones
- Swap high heels for a flat loafer or a low block heel
If you buy one thing, make it a long jacket in a dark, neutral colour. It will work over a dress, with jeans and with matching trousers as a suit.
Four pieces to keep
These four pieces carry the mood of the week, and none of them will date.
The soft tote
Unlined calf leather in tobacco brown. Big enough for a laptop, light enough to forget.
The last word
Paris did not shout this season, and that is why it was so convincing. The clothes were made to be worn for years, by women with busy lives. After a long time when fashion seemed to be made for photographs, that feels like news.
We will publish our full reports from Milan and London next week, with the ten pieces we think are worth your money.
