Twice a year, Paris transforms into the epicenter of high fashion and this year is no different with the arrival of Paris Haute Couture Week 2024. Unlike ready-to-wear fashion weeks showcasing more commercial collections, haute couture represents the pinnacle of made-to-order craftsmanship. And this January, designers gave us a glimpse into the future of fashion alongside nods to the industry’s storied past.
The exclusivity and artistry of haute couture make the shows a spectacle unlike any other. Haute couture garments are made carefully by hand. Moreso, they often require hundreds of hours of intricate embroidery, beading, and seam work done by ateliers. And for 2024, this show brought the creme de la creme of the industries as we saw stars like Rihanna and the Kardashian Jenners take up front seats at some of the shows. So, if you were busy and missed out on the week, this post covers all the highlights, glitz, and awe-worthy moments of the haute couture SS24.
Paris Haute Couture Week 2024: A Glimpse into the Pinnacle of High Fashion
Haute couture represents the very pinnacle of French style and savoir-faire. Such is its exclusivity, that only a handful of houses are granted membership by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode each year. Naturally, only the best designers take the runway but it also represents a chance to celebrate the mastery of skill that goes into each one-of-a-kind creation and the poetry of fashion. Also, when it comes to the designs, the prices set for them reflect the time that goes into making each of these garments solely made for the world’s biggest fashion clients.
Celebrities at the Paris Haute Couture Week 2024
As usual, the biggest names in the industry jetted to the city of love for its iconic haute couture fashion week. These celebrities announced their presence with their stunning looks and designer pieces that rivaled the models on the runway. From Jennifer Lopez to Zendaya, Rihanna, and the ladies of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, we had our fill of stars showing the French they understand how to play the game of fashion. Here’s a look at how they turned up:
Major Highlights at Paris Haute Couture Week 2024
No fashion season comes without its drama. For Paris haute couture 2024, jaws dropped when Designer Robert Wun debuted a horror-inspired collection at the event. Known for his fearless imagination, Wun took things to another level by showcasing a gory collection that culminated in one grand lineup of pieces splashed with fake blood, umbrellas hats, talon manicures, and more.
Another major highlight was during the Schiaparelli show when a model walked in with a robot baby covered in motherboards and microchips. It was the least expected sight but perhaps, the brand was trying to convey a message about AI.
Best Street Style Moment at the Paris Haute Couture Week 2024
Even after the event has ended, the street style fits from the fashion week is one we won’t forget in a hurry. It was a week of fabulous designs, street-style standouts, and opulent afterparties. As a fashion enthusiast, feel free to recreate all the gorgeous looks and avant-garde designs that rocked our screens this week.
From our favorite fashion moguls donning Dior to Schiaparelli’s bevy of stars sitting front row, here are just a few of our favourite street-style looks from this season:
Best Runway Moments During Paris Haute Couture Week 2024
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela made magic at the haute couture week. The brand showcased breathtaking designs that paid an ode to the Cortes and corseted boys of the Parisian underground. Also, the iconoclastic, avant-garde fashion house concocted new fabrications and methods of manipulating striped fabric to become a block color.
The brand went all out with its pieces.
Fendi
Fendi offered a captivating blend of minimalist futurism and homage to the legendary Karl Lagerfeld.
The brand delivered a memorable futurist collection — with frothing, organic fringing, etc. — that revered the past and embraced forward-thinking fashion elements.
Schiaparelli
Marking the start of a new season of haute couture, Creative Director Daniel Roseberry kicked off Paris Couture Week’s schedule with a collection of extraterrestrial elegance aptly dubbed ‘Schiaparalien’.
The collection was a stunning depiction of Schiaparelli’s glamorous frivolity and exaggerated silhouettes, reimagined for contemporary age.
Dior
Dior’s couture show at Paris’ Musee Rodin wove an intricate Ottoman tapestry for spring.
It began with an understated yet powerful beige trench, worn with the large collar draping over a bare torso and complemented by a raw pearl double choker reminiscent of teeth. These details added a subtle intricacy to the pieces.
Valentino
At the runway show for Valentino’s spring 2024 couture collection dubbed “Le Salon,” we saw gorgeous models glide down a purple spiral staircase in the brand’s Place Vendôme atelier. They wore a sea of colorful gowns, suits, and separates for all genders.
Also, the models were draped in slinky turquoise dresses, rose-red capes, topaz blazers, saffron shirts, mandarin dresses, and a frenzy of textures brought to life by the couturiers’ techniques and embellishments.
ALSO READ: London Fashion Week 2023: Notable Runway and Street Style Moments We Can’t Forget
Robert Wun at Paris Haute Couture Week 2024
Robert Wun proved without a doubt that he could make a statement from the stunt he pulled at the fashion week.
According to his interview with WWD, he likened his creative process to journaling, so what we saw on the runway was a peek at the workings of his mind.
Ashi Studio Haute Couture SS24
Last season, Mohammed Ashi became the first Saudi Arabian designer to feature in the official schedule at Paris Couture Week. This season marks his second high fashion presentation.
And this year, the brand came with a bang. Ashi weaves a deeply personal story through geometric gowns, contrasting them with enveloping coats and cascading dresses in tactile materials like brushed mohair and delicate lace.
Gaurav Gupta Haute Couture SS24
The brand dubbed their collection “Aarohanam” after the notion of an ascending scale in Indian music.
Gupta combined the futuristic pleated and lifted sculptural pieces it is best known for with a newer direction.
ALSO READ: Lagos Fashion Week 2023: Everything That Went Down on & off the Runway
Peet Dullaert Haute Couture SS24
For his first show on the official calendar, the Dutch designer used small details to play with shape and volume.
Dullaert made it clear that his collection was about the body of all shapes and sizes and he played with proportions to expose it in new ways.
Aelis Haute Couture SS24
For a brand like Aelis, debuting a new haute couture line in Paris would involve hosting an exclusive fashion show event.
The show featured models wearing intricate, hand-crafted gowns and tailoring in rich fabrics like silk, lace, and chiffon.
ALSO READ: Milan Fashion Week Men’s FW24: Everything That Went Down On & Off the Runway
Paris Haute Couture Week 2024: A Spectacular Memory To Relive
These dazzling shows may seem distant from everyday life. Yet each year the trends and techniques debuted on the haute couture runways trickle down to influence mainstream fast fashion collections. Haute couture represents fashion at its most imaginative and skillfully executed, even if only glimpsed from the sidelines by most admirers.
This January, Paris opened the doors to these spectacular flights of fashion fancy and offered inspiration to dreamers worldwide. What we covered in this post is a fraction of the entire event. Visit Paris Fashion Week’s official website to feast your eyes on all the hand-crafted collections that ruled the runway
