What to Expect from Paris Fashion Week
Trend-setters across the pond
MAYA LAWSON / CONTRIBUTOR / THE USD VISTA
Designers finish last touches, makeup artists ensure models look perfect, and viewers wait eagerly until the lights go up for Paris Fashion Week. Paris continues to capture audience’s attention all across the world, year after year, with legendary fashion on this special week. However, this year is receiving special attention as physical, in-person shows return to Fashion Week.
In-person runway shows are finally back for the iconic event and include Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Balmain, Chanel, Saint Laurent, along with other powerhouse brands. However, digital presentations, film, and live streams are other options the fashion houses are using amongst the pandemic to stay safe and reach larger audiences. Live streams, accessible to everyone, of the physical runway shows and digital presentations of the collections, available via appointment, will be available on the Paris Fashion Week’s official website for brands such as Hermés, Valentino, Balenciaga, Uma Wang, and Givenchy.
As always, the 95 houses are ecstatic to reveal their womenswear collections as fashion enthusiasts wait in anticipation.
Whether viewers are in Paris sitting front row or live streaming from San Diego, Monday Feb. 28, models will hit the runway for Paris Fashion week’s (Fall/Winter) 2022-2023 womenswear collection.
Off-White will make its first debut since its founder, Virgil Abloh, passed back in 2021. Virgil was not only an inspirational designer, but also reconceptualized “streetwear” and became the first Black artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s menswear. The menswear Louis Vuitton collection on Jan. 28, named The Louis DreamHouse, stayed true to Virgil’s vision. The collection featured sharply cut bold varsity jackets, lively and visually stunning prints, references to Virgil’s favorite artists and a childhood venue theme.
Crowd members sat on pillows, dancers traversed through walking models, artists dropped on trampolines, famous conductor Dudamel orchestrated on a long dining room table, and Tyler the Creator rode a bicycle throughout the show.
The menswear also juxtaposed men in suits versus men in hoodies to emphasize how society views the two. Virgil’s last collection, with help from the Louis Vuitton team, garnered a standing ovation.
Saint Laurent and Dior will both have a physical show and free live stream of the event on Tuesday. Dior’s show will start around 2:30 pm and Saint Laurent will close the day.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s brand, The Row, showcases its womenswear collection in this year’s Paris Fashion Week.
According to The Row’s vice president, Joe Karban, everything the Olsen sisters’ touch “turns to gold.” Viewers can determine if this remains true on Wednesday.
Vetements will participate in its first show with Gurám Gyasalia as creative director on Friday.
Balenciaga will return to a more conventional runway format after last year’s altered structure, the red carpet runway walk and the infamous Simpson collaboration film. This will occur on Sunday, along with Givenchy and Valentino.
On March 8, Chanel will kick off the last day of Paris Fashion Week with its in-person runway show reveal.
The film of the live show releases later that afternoon at 3:00 pm.
Physical shows are not easy to put together, but they are especially difficult while in a pandemic. These collections, whether audiences like it or not, have a huge influence on the trends for the next month to year. However, fashion isn’t simply trends and what sells, fashion is storytelling.
With modern technology, everyone has access to view what important stories, societal issues, and messages designers have to tell next week, so make sure to tune in.