Fashion season is in full swing! Over the last month, fashion weeks have been making their way around the world, starting their journey in New York, and then across Europe with stops in Paris, London and Milan. At fashion weeks, dozens of brands come from all over their respective countries to show the press and buyers designs for the upcoming season. To display clothes for the warm and cold months, fashion weeks are typically held twice a year.
New York
Fashion Week’s worldwide tour started in the Big Apple on Feb. 9, and went until Feb. 14. New York is the fashion capital of the USA, and New York Fashion Week (NYFW) has been the origin for many major designers in the country today, such as Vera Wang and Marc Jacobs. People go to New York City to follow their dreams all the time, and what better example than in the case of designer Tiffany Brown? From a small boutique in midtown Atlanta to having showrooms all over the world, her story is the prime example of the New York dream. The Winter/Fall collection features a celebration of gold tones, a complete contrast from last season’s palette of grays.
One of the most anticipated shows of NYFW was none other than The Blonds. Designer Phillipe Blond and creative director David Blond have curated intricate and captivating costumes since the dawn of the brand. On Feb. 10, their Fall/Winter 2024 collection debuted, celebrating the spirit of Latin culture with their theme, “¡FUEGO!” The collection featured a series of vibrant colors, extreme embellishments and ravishing corsets. To further accentuate the outfits, The Blonds partnered with hairstylist Lacy Redway and hair product brand TRESemmé to create five custom hairstyles to continue to emphasize their homage to Latin customs.
London
After its time in the city that never sleeps, Fashion Week made its way across the Atlantic toits next stop in London. London Fashion Week (LFW) was held from Feb. 16 to Feb 20, and celebrated its 40th year. On the night of Feb. 15, landmarks such as Covent Garden, the London Eye and the Royal Opera House were lit up in green to honor 40 successful years showcasing fashion designers.
One of this season’s most impressive shows was Balmain. Designer Oliver Rousteing focused on founder Pierre Balmain’s love of gardening while incorporating elements of his hometown, Bordeaux. Rather than using signature icons Balmain would use such as apples, nuts, and strawberries, Rousteing thought outside of the box and went all out with prints and embroideries, including grapes, the most famous symbol of Bordeaux. The collection featured dazzling cocktail dresses, floor-length coats and floral ballgown skirts, all embellished with the most vibrant accessories possible.
Burberry is always the most anticipated show at LFW, and their creative director Daniel Lee has yet to disappoint! For Lee’s third show, he pulled inspiration from England’s natural environment by utilizing earthy tones with practical clothing that keeps you warm. The main attraction of the show was the intricate coats. Lee puffed them up, added trimmed fur, gave them ruffled patterns, adding just about anything you could think of. London’s streetwear also had a huge part in this, featuring bomber jackets, zippered cargo pants and frayed knitwear.
Milan
Fashion Week made its third stop in Milan from Feb. 20 to Feb. 26. Milan Fashion Week continues to showcase Italian and International designers, such as Gucci, Prada and Versace. Notable models such as Gigi Hadid took the runway while A-list celebrities like Emma Watson, Uma Thurman, and Jessica Alba got a front-row experience watching the shows.
Diesel, an Italian luxury clothing company, stepped out of the box compared to the rest of the shows. While many shows featured muted, darker tones, Diesel stuck with their non-conformist approach. Clothing pieces featured unique uses of denim, frayed edges and patchwork patterns. Fashion Designer Glenn Martins allowed fans to tune into a 72-hour livestream to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes such as set up, dressing and casting. Additionally, one thousand spots were available for fashion lovers to be displayed on the screen itself during the show, creating an interactive yet scenic setup.
One word can be used to describe Fendi’s show at MFW: layering. Designer Kim Jones presented looks with a neutral palette featuring earthy tones along with an emphasis on leather (as Fendi is typically known for). However, Jones carefully curated something different for each look; sheer skirts were covered in patterns such as polka dots, sweater sleeves were uneven to create a contrasting look, and color blocking broke up the dusty tones. The venue itself was also draped in various fabrics to emulate “the beating heart of Roman culture.”
In the latter half, models presented looks of Roman statues, including women and goddesses from Galleria Borghese, whom the company has a partnership with. These prints of the Roman figures served as a beautiful contrast to the layers of vibrant colors and dynamic textiles.
Paris
The final stop of the big four fashion weeks is in no other than Paris, held from Feb. 26 to March 5. Being the longest of the fashion weeks, Paris Fashion Week (PFW) is considered the most prestigious in Europe and second-most in the world behind New York. PFW is the destination for top French luxury brands such as Dior, Christian Louboutin and Yves Saint-Laurent.
Eyes were on a new designer for Chloé, Chemena Kamali, as she combined the brand’s iconic ‘70s essence along with elegant influences from Karl Lagerfeld. Kamali said she aspired for her line to have one foot in the past and one in the future. The collection had a myriad of whimsical, flowy dresses combined with elements of fringe and earth tones that were popular in the 1970s. Kamali dedicated the show to her late father, and in a heartwarming moment, her young son jumped onto the stage into her arms at the end.
One debut at PFW more anticipated than Kamali’s has to be none other than 35-year-old designer Seán McGirr at Alexander McQueen. McGirr replaces Sarah Burton, who took over the brand after McQueen died by suicide in 2010. McGirr spent the last three years at British fashion label JW Anderson and for his first show at McQueen, he delivered. The show displayed a very art-school-esque vibe with colored leather outfits, huge sweaters, and molded dresses. While McGirr still used the vibrant colors McQueen used in the past, his ways of having the clothing fit were extremely unique and unconventional.
While the big four fashion weeks may be over for this season, there are plenty of smaller fashion weeks coming up including Bangalore Fashion Week from March 7 to March 10, Los Angeles Fashion Week from March 22 to March 24 and Barcelona’s Bridal Fashion Week from April 17 to April 20.
