That’s a wrap on the Fall 2024 season of Haute Couture Paris Fashion Week and what a wild ride the past few days have been, with Vogue World: Paris unofficially kick-starting the couture festiveness as the sun set over Place Vendôme on Sunday evening.
The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode leaned on Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli to get this season’s couture celebrations off to a fine start – and it worked. Ditching the light-filled atrium of the Petit Palais for a windowless, dark space underneath the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, guests were treated to a salon-style presentation. The Texan-born designer focused on the idea of rebirth, with Roseberry’s avant-garde designs reflecting stages of metamorphosis. On the opposite end of the scale, Iris van Herpen opted for a presentation instead of a traditional fashion show, where models were mounted onto walls like real-life paintings.
Later in the day, Maria Grazia Chiuri unveiled her latest couture collection for Christian Dior. As the French capital is set to play host to the 2024 Olympic Games next month, the Italian designer embraced the Olympic spirit and presented a lineup of silver and gold Grecian gowns and embellished bodysuits as a tribute to athletes from antiquity to present day. Thom Browne gave us a masterclass in drama, with clothes spectacularly built to showcase powerful construction, and gave himself the challenge of creating a collection crafted entirely out of muslin. At Giambattista Valli, extra volume and florals were the order of the day.
On Tuesday, the fashion pack gathered inside Paris’ Palais Garnier to witness the first Chanel collection following the exit of Virginie Viard. Partly executed by the in-house design team, the studio tapped into classic Chanel codes as the search for Viard’s replacement continues. Amping up the sense of drama (befitting of the setting), voluminous skirts and dramatic capes floated over the mosaic floor of the historic opera house. At 89, Giorgio Armani proved (once again) he’s at the top of his game. For a stellar collection titled “Pearls”, Armani crafted the entire collection this season with the precious gemstone in mind and conjured up a whole plethora of gowns ready for the red carpet – each in a sophisticated color palette of white, platinum, champagne and black.
Over at Balenciaga’s Salons de Couture on 10 Avenue George V, Demna insisted a meditative soundtrack eased the minds of his guests, before bombarding them with his upcycled couture. The last look, a black nylon dress, was crafted from 47 meters of fabric and existed only for the duration of the show. An array of floor-length silhouettes reigned supreme at Elie Saab, as the Lebanese designer continues to display his masterful talent for embellishments and red carpet dressing. For the Fall 2024 season of Haute Couture Paris Fashion Week, the Dutch avant-garde design duo Viktor & Rolf drew inspiration from their breakthrough Fall/Winter 1998 ‘Atomic Bomb’ collection and drew on the artistic movements of Cubism and Constructivism.
Lavish velvets draped as capes and impressive beading work were on display at Zuhair Murad. For Nicolas di Felice’s highly-anticipated outing as Jean Paul Gaultier’s guest couturier, the Belgian designer gave us a fresh and minimalist take on signature JPG house codes (such as corsetry and lingerie detailing). To close out his collection, Di Felice’s finale look consisted of a sheer nude wedding gown-style dress that was covered in 10,568 hook and eye closures.
Needless to say, the Fall 2024 season of Haute Couture Paris Fashion Week was full of memorable moments. Scroll further for the hits and misses, all in accordance of theFashionSpot’s very own army of loyal fashion critics:
MISS | Viktor & Rolf
“Dreadful. After all these decades, their idea of fashion is still adolescent at best. They want to be cOncEpTuAl so bad.” [GoldenPetals]
“The trick has gone old…” [jeanclaude]
“I really do wonder how successful they are in couture sales. And also, how their clients store the pieces. Viktor & Rolf designs are adolescent. They have been limited and no evolution from them.” [jeremeydante]
See all the looks from the Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
HIT | Giorgio Armani Privé
“Nobody does black velvet like Armani.” [lookatme]
“Again, a Giorgio Armani Privé collection takes my breath away! This has truly lifted me up, what a sight for sore eyes. A flawless collection from start to finish, love the monochromatic color palette, the embellishments, that liquid-like fabric Armani uses so well… I am in couture heaven!” [vogue28]
“Just stunning. Classic but never stale. Sleek but never basic.” [GoldenPetals]
See all the looks from the Giorgio Armani Privé Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
HIT | Chanel
“This is such a dignified collection. Chanel can definitely survive without a creative director. Just call Emmanuelle Alt for consulting and that’s it!” [helmutnotdead]
“Seeing how different this collection is from Virad’s usual tricks, I have a hunch that the studio decided to make radical changes to the designs after she left. The proportions, though matronly, are actually on point and the the shoulders and waistline fall perfectly.” [LadyJunon]
“I love all the capes, the high-necks, the puff sleeves and even the pajama bloomers – very Karl’s Victorian rococo Coco. All you need is a horse carriage and a chauffeur to complete the scene. I am getting Marie Antoinette sneaking into a Paris masked ball from this.” [TomBlanksFullFatMiuMiu]
See all the looks from the Chanel Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
MISS | Balenciaga
“Everything from soundtrack to the clothes and ideas just screams banal, disconnected, pretentious and lazy.” [PDFSD]
“I feel like Demna is purposefully trolling critics who say he is boring by using that soundtrack. I tried really hard to not fall asleep especially coupled with those first few looks. Demna’s couture is getting worse, and the repetition of the references and very very very cheap-looking menswear pieces.” [Mody]
“I can drap 47-meter fabric and make it still wearable. What is this nonsense mess.” [TaylorBinque]
See all the looks from the Balenciaga Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
MISS | Julie de Libran
“Some of these outfits look like they were made overnight before the show.” [TaylorBinque]
“Girl, 5 years in the game and this is still the best you can do? If you cannot elevate you design, at least elevate your fabrics development or presentation.” [THD96]
“There’s a reason why brands uses models instead of real people to model their designs. The sizes and proportions of the models are generally standardized. Here, everything is wrong because for what it supposed to look like Couture, it looks very frumpy and unflattering. EVERY look is unfortunate. Terrible!” [Lola701]
See all the looks from the Julie de Libran Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
HIT | Schiaparelli
I think that this is Daniel Roseberry’s best collection to date. So many beautiful looks.” [MModa]
“Wow, what a collection. Daniel is brilliant, and the ways they’ve reintroduced this house is so beautiful. I love all the looks, the staging, the soundtrack- all of it. So pretty. This is what runway and couture are all about. Beautiful pacing, intimate lighting.” [jeremydante]
“This was a collection full of invention and craft.” [signifier]
See all the looks from the Schiaparelli Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
MISS | Charles de Vilmorin
“Did he graduate? This looks like a fashion school collection.” [tourbillions]
“I can picture this collection as props for Disneyland. They could use this to inaugurate new attractions about Disney villains.” [jeanclaude]
“Too many references which get him lost…” [bennyboy]
See all the looks from the Charles de Vilmorin Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
MISS | Christian Dior
“Maria Grazia Chiuri doesn’t have much enthusiasm or passion or adoration or admiration for dressing women. For a moment it seemed like a Sunday with all the washed sheets drying in the wind.” [CholoChic]
“The collection is pretty but forgettable. Nothing offensive, simple basic silhouettes. The Dior couture client base buys mostly because it’s Dior and they are not true fashion customers at this point. I would imagine the atelier can craft this in their sleep.” [reese06]
“How much longer is gonna be allowed at Dior? The mosaics? Sweet, for a child’s school project or a gymnasium wall – not couture. I understand keeping things safe, or tame, sure. But this is prêt-à-porter and we all know it. Sad.” [jeremydante]
See all the looks from the Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
MISS | Thom Browne
“OMG, what a waste of everything! Pretentious and bad fashion. Then again, I did not expect anything else from Thom Browne…” [90sFan]
“His ‘couture’ collections always look like a child of Guo Pei and Rei Kawakubo suffering from stiff person syndrome.” [avonlea002]
DIABOLICAL! Villainous waste of fabric and time. Sometimes I think being with Andrew Bolton has led believe everything should be made for museums because who the f*** is wearing this much less paying for it?” [VogueDisciple93]
See all the looks from the Thom Browne Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
MISS | Iris van Herpen
“The 3d printing has been milked to death for such a long time that Iris van Herpen should probably stop waiting for any potential couture client. Her work lost its allure a long long time ago.” [JohannesL]
“With Iris’ scientific/alien-esque direction, it was interesting at first but where can you take it when you’re so far beyond into the outer realm? We are bored now. Flip the direction on us.” [jeremydante]
“Well, it seems the 3D printed has gone out of ABS plastic cartridges this time. One positive thing here, it’s only 5 looks!” [jeanclaude]
See all the looks from the Iris van Herpen Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
HIT | Jean Paul Gaultier
“I LOOOOOOOOVED IT. I could’ve used a bit more drama, maybe. But, the sense of restraint. The color story, the concept of under garments and the delicate use of coverage and exposure- what a balance. Obsessed with the runway soundtrack.” [jeremydante]
“My favorite collection of the week. The collection was so sleek and elegant. The reduced color palettes, the leather, the hook-and-eyes, the pockets, the overall rigor and willowy silhouettes, I love it.” [LadyJunon]
“I knew Nicolas Di Felice had it in him. Wow!” [Alquimista]
See all the looks from the Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
HIT | Zuhair Murad
“Beautiful collection. Very sophisticated.” [Urban Stylin]
“Always a fan of Zuhair Murad’s couture collections, and this is no exception. A whole multitude of gorgeous gowns, don’t even know where to start in selecting just on standout look. Every single look here has their strong point, whether it’s colour, embellishment or fabric.” [vogue28]
“Loyal Fan. There were some beautiful gowns. The collection really shines.” [Empress of Dress]
See all the looks from the Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
MISS | Tamara Ralph
“It’s a little too inconsistent. Some pieces look like royalty while others look like leftovers. Also, it’s basically a mishmash of Valli, Versace, and Elie Saab. Hardly any identity.” [GoldenPetals]
“Tacky. This makes me think Michael Russo was the stronger talent. Tamara definitely needs someone to help her better edit and tailor the clothes. My main issue with this collection is the design. Too amateur for a designer who has been exposed to a higher level of taste.” [TerraVera]
See all the looks from the Tamara Ralph Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
HIT | Elie Saab
“Stunning from start to finish. His technique and his vision are timeless. And what a CAST.” [GoldenPetals]
“As always… top of the class!” [Empress of Dress]
“As always with Elie Saab, everything is just executed to perfection and looks absolutely flawless. In love with this collection just as much as Saab’s previous ones. The colour palette and sense of cohesion is spot-on, love how the collection starts off with black, runs into burgundy and ends with all those nude numbers.” [vogue28]
See all the looks from the Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
MISS | Giambattista Valli
“Not his best work.” [Mutterlain]
“I understand design signatures and the importance of developing house code, but there is a distinct same-ness with Giambattista that feels like something more dull than continuity. The collection seemed to attempt differentiation with the petals and painted faces (unnecessary) but for me it missed the mark.” [jeremydante]
“Giambattista Valli makes wonderful dresses but there’s never a push for something new. Just one big collection for the last 6 years.” [brandon J pierre]
See all the looks from the Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.
HIT | Alexis Mabille
“The cat dress is probably the best thing that he has ever designed.” [JohannesL]
“So cute!” [TomBlanksFullFatFashion]
“The kitty dress is very cool.” [GoldenPetals]
See all the looks from the Alexis Mabille Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection.