The beloved photographer Bill Cunningham once called fashion “the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.” Well, the semi-annual haute couture shows in Paris certainly don’t embody everyday life, but I did think of that quote when I saw the incredible chrome-laminated, 3D-printed gown of armor that Demna sent out as the final look of Balenciaga’s triumphant couture collection. “Making clothes is my armor,” the designer told Vogue’s Sarah Mower, adding that had Joan of Arc worn the same ensemble, “Maybe she wouldn’t have been burned at the stake for wearing men’s clothes.”
Chioma and I were joined by Vogue Runway’s Nicole Phelps to catch up about couture week in Paris before Nicole headed off to the airport en route to Puglia for Dolce Gabbana’s Alta Moda collection. The headlines? Balenciaga is officially back on top; Thom Browne made his couture debut, resulting in my personal favorite front row pairing of Cardi B and Diane Keaton; and streets and bridges are the new runway of choice. In other fashion news of the week, Gabriela Hearst is officially out at Chloé, after three years and months of rumors. Peter Hawkins, meanwhile, is officially taking over at Tom Ford, and will debut his first collection in Milan in September.
Another thing we discussed was the idea of 24-hour couture—meaning that couture clothing is no longer relegated to pannier-skirted ballgowns fit for a black tie gala, but as appropriate for a 9am meeting as a 9pm dinatoire. At Chanel, Virginie Viard sent slouchy separates down pink-painted cobblestones accessorized with produce-filled baskets and her sister’s flat-coated retriever; and Valentino played with the idea of couture denim rendered in silky gazar. So, in fact, Bill was right— this is the armor for daily life after all!
