Paris Fashion Week Spring 2018: See the Best Looks Straight From the Runway
Paris Fashion Week kicked off a day early with Jacquemus, a young label that has won the admiration of many fashion editors. Maria Grazia Chiui’s Dior show favored denim ensembles and finale looks that resembled a shattered mirror, and drew the likes of Karlie Kloss, Winnie Harlow, Alexa Chung, and French girl of the moment Jeanne Damas to the Musée Rodin. Later in the day, the original French It Girl, Catherine Deneuve, joined Kate Moss and a late Lenny Kravitz for a stunning display of love for the French capital, with the Eiffle Tower glittering at the start and finish of the show, which was almost as impressive as the models wearing down-to-there and up-to-here embellished mini dresses. Here are the best looks of Paris Fashion Week so far, and stay tuned for more updates, and more impressive displays of fashion and set design, from Chanel and Louis Vuitton later this week.
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Y/Project played with their usual tropes this season – reworking denim and sweatshirt fabric, but the standout included a more refined look covered in head to toe tulle.
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One of the highlights of Dior was the finale dresses that seem to be inspired by broken glass, including this blue one worn by Adwoa Aboah.
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Simon Porte Jacquemus kicked off Paris Fashion Week, and left more than one stylist feeling like he really “got” them. Even though he said this collection was inspired by his mother at the sea, it didn’t feel vintage-y, and Amilina Estevão looked charming in that oversized straw hat.
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Lacoste celebrated a big anniversary this season, and brought their show all the way back to Paris. While a lot of the looks on the runway were a celebration of everything Lacoste is known for, it was very refreshing to see Dilone wearing an off-the-shoulder one-piece tucked into a pair of high-rise jeans.
5Dries van Noten
Dries Van Noten’s show was full of beautiful looks that we all have come to love him for, including big floral prints, hues of orangey yellow, scarf prints, and some stripes, but a favorite was a embellished camisole and skirt look that also spoke to this season’s big transparency trend.
6Maison Margiela
It is nearly impossible to choose just one look from John Galliano’s Margiela collection, but the idea of deconstruction that appeared in a trench coat last season translated to this jacket, with just the endoskeleton of the garment showing, covered in feathers.
7Saint Laurent
A stunning spectacle set underneath the sparkle of the Eiffel Tower, the Saint Laurent spring show featured a series of evening looks at the finale, just as last season. the shimmering black dress here called to mind the YSL glamour of yore, despite being worn by Gen Z runway royalty, Kaia Gerber.
8Kenzo Memento 2
This season, Kenzo offered a ’90s upgrade to the city girl’s summer look – a one-piece maillot pared with a fanny pack bag and bucket hat.
9Balmain
At Balmain’s Spring 2018 show, there wasn’t a Hadid or Jenner in sight, but rather top models of the ’00s, like Natalia Vodianova, Natasha Poly, and Magdalena Frackowiak. Vodianova’s opening look, a pair of patent leather overalls worn over a white button-down top, was one of the highlights of the show.
10Rochas
There were plenty of elegant, pared-down looks at Rochas’ Spring 2018 show, but the way the light reflected on this sparkly number made this dress a standout.
11Ellery
Kym Ellery know her clients well, and know what they like. The pop of blue was a welcome surprise among the black and white, and detached sleeves were a playful way to take the silhouette she is know for one step further.
12Off-White
Virgil Abloh’s Off-White paid homage to the late, great Princess Diana, with Naomi Campbell closing out the show.
13Undercover
At the Undercover spring show, each model had her “twin” who was the same but slightly different, with the show culminating in a series of actual twins wearing the final looks. A collaboration with Cindy Sherman led to a series of “merch tees,” while superstitious imagery played a roll in other dresses, like the black cat here and an evil eye featured on other looks.
14Nina Ricci
Both the spring collection and the charming outdoor location at the Nina Ricci show left show-goers in a good mood. This look, with its military inspired shoulders and feather trimmed skirt, combined two of the collection’s major elements.
15Isabel Marant
Now French It-Girl’s can dress their boyfriends in their favorite label, too, thanks to the house’s brand new,—and perfectly-executed—menswear collection.
16Loewe
Jonathan Andersen gave Loewe fans a covetable spring collection, from dresses inspired by carpets to cut and sliced logo pieces that are sure to be all over your Instagram feed before you know it.
17Chloe
Natacha Ramsey-Levi brought a dose of cool to Clare Waight Keller’s Chloé, adding her own influences, bits of flou from Waight Keller, and equestrian touches from the Stella McCartney era.
18Celine
Céline was an upbeat parade of pieces that you didn’t even know you needed until you saw it. Great new trench? Check. Long-sleeved midi dress in white sequins? Check. Swinging red striped dress? Check. The R&B music added to the fun and enjoyment of the show—not that the collection needed anything extra.
19Valentino
Pierpaolo Piccioli tapped into ’80s era Valentino yet made it thoroughly modern. In addition to the long dresses, embroidered and embellished pieces the brand is known for, he also sent out sport and disco-inspired looks, including this sequin-embellished anorak.
20Alessandra Rich
Alessandra Rich’s beautiful collection left many editors feeling like they could stay in her atelier all day and play dress up. This lace button-down dress in pure white was a favorite.
21Hermès
This Hermès graphic robe coat is the perfect season-less piece, and a great new closet staple for your wardrobe.
22Alexander McQueen
Sarah Burton’s starting point for the spring Alexander McQueen was being in a British garden. This opening look, a beautiful floral printed two-tone trench with romantic baby pink dress underneath, conjurs up the idea of a young girl running through her country estate just as an rainstorm thundered in.
23Chanel
Chanel’s fun spring show touched on many of spring’s trends, especially that of transparency, shine, and the use of plastic. There were a series of white finale dresses, however, that really stood out. Expect to see quite a few women get married in these dresses come summer.
24Miu Miu
Miuccia Prada mixed the haute and the regular in her spring show, with ’50s style dresses styled over shirting made from ‘average’ fabrics, like cottons and linens. The effect was a more pared down Miu Miu, but certainly no less covetable.
25Thom Browne
Thom Browne’s womenswear collection made a stunning debut in Paris—a theatrical delight, yes, but also beautiful, very well crafted collection, making it impossible to choose just one look. It was a runway show worthy of its beautiful setting, the Hôtel de Ville, and a collection worthy of his spot on the Paris Fashion Week calendar.
26Louis Vuitton
Nicolas Ghesquière married past, present and future in his spring collection, where embroidered jackets were paired with track shorts, cubical bags, and clunky sneakers.