A Reflection on the Spring / Summer 2022 Season at Paris Haute Couture

As the Spring/ Summer 2022 season at Paris Haute Couture comes to a holt, it is refreshing to reflect on the specatular fashion that we witnessed on the runway. Haute Couture, translating to high dressmaking, ages way back to 1908; but the specifications of Le Chambre Syndicale that lie in place now weren’t established until 1945. Fashion houses are required to have a workshop in Paris employing a minimum of 20 full-time technical people and must present a collection twice annually, in January and July, which contains at least 50 original designs. The most recent season demonstrated to be nothing short of its definition this fashion week, as brands such as Chanel, Dior, Valentino and many more took to the runway to celebrate luxurious creations in the world of fashion. It is no doubt that the designs we witnessed will influence various markets within fashion outside of the haute couture sector.

American designer Daniel Roseberry of fashion brand Schiaparelli produced some extraordinary garments of a black, gold, and white palette in a range of unique shapes. The designer is particularly known for his tendency to create fabulous headwear, sculptural bodices and oversized jewellery. In a time where the metaverse and technology is becoming dominant in our society, it was very fitting for Schiaparalli to have models walking the runay with planetarian rings orbiting their heads and gilded bustiers. Despite there being less colour in the creations than there was in previous seasons, the garments were no less fabulous due to the innovative designer.

Chanel’s shows for past seasons have been over the top, in a fabulous way of course, when Karl Lagerfeld was the previous creative director of the brand. However, Virginie Viard who stepped up to the job after Lagerfeld’s passing, has since presented more toned down shows, that was until the SS/22 season in Paris. The Chanel show was opened with showjumper Charlotte Casiraghi on horseback wearing the Maison’s signature tailored jacket. With several looks to follow, such as a tiered dress of raw cut silk organza, the show was truly a demonstration of haute couture. Visual artist Xavier Veilhan, who has collaborated with Chanel in the past, as well as having made a film superimposed with Constructivist motifs previously, was the brains behind the theme of the constructivist set According to Virginie Vard, the set was “part landscape, part garden, and part open theatre stage’, of course adding to the extravagance. Not to mention that this theme inspired the model’s make up featuring heavy use of black kohl highlighting circular eyes along with double liner.

Christian Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri decided to tone down the championing of feminist messaging and instead focus on the skilled humanity of its various collaborators and petit mains of its ateliers. This season, Dior presented to us several embroidered garments, ranging from fabulous gowns to smaller items like socks and shoes. Whilst past collections featuring fabulous gowns have been considered to be very bold, Dior’s collection this season took a simplistic route, although no less extraordinary, as we saw timeless tailoring in grey, black, and white, displayed with excellent construction and know-how required tio sew each item.

Valentino presented to us the most inclusive casting we have seen yet, featuring familiar faces as well as diverse body types which is not typically seen on haute couture runways. Rather than fitting each piece on one slim model, creative director of the brand Pierpaolo Piccioli used various body types and proportions initiating in the design stage, causing several silhouettes to be produced. Of course, the Valentino collection brought us stunning colours and drapery; to no surprise, as Piccioli is known for this. “In couture, you never see these bodies,” Piccioli told Vogue, and took an atypical route by “keeping the codes, but changing the values.”

Which shows did you enjoy at the Spring/ Summer 2022 Haute Couture Week?

Featured image sourced by: JC Gellidon, Unsplash

Image 1 sourced by: Yogendra Singh, Unsplash

Image 2 sourced by: Flaunter, Unsplash

Image 3 sourced by: Flaunter, Unsplash

(Information sourced from fashionunited.uk, edition.cnn.com)