A fusion of eras, cultures and styles hits Paris Fashion Week runways

Highlights from Saturday's fall-winter 2024 Paris Fashion Week shows.

On a rain-soaked Saturday at Paris Fashion Week, the luxury world saw a spectacle of contrasts, where the audacious spirit of punk melded with quiet luxury and historical elegance. Displays blurred the lines between rebellion and refinement, presenting collections that navigated through time — evoking medieval serfs with a modern twist and embracing minimalist aesthetics reminiscent of the 1990s.

Here are some highlights of Saturday’s fall-winter 2024 shows:

Explorations of “quiet luxury” — a phrase intimately tied to Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski’s tenure at Hermes — were once again at the forefront of the Parisian runway on Saturday, as the French designer unveiled her latest interpretation of leather’s endless possibilities.

This season, however, the narrative took a darker, more introspective turn, with brooding black leathers that evoked the deep, reflective tones of the late French painter Soulages.

These pieces, gleaming against the backdrop of a black starry night, sometimes adopted a fierce demeanor, reminiscent of studded, armor-like vests. Yet, this undercurrent of fierceness was masterfully balanced with the inherent softness of the collection’s cuts and the meticulous precision of its detailing.

Nipped buckles and gentle ribbing on skin-tight pants demonstrated Vanhee-Cybulski’s adeptness at blending Hermès’ storied craftsmanship with innovative design. Amidst this darker palette, muted flashes emerged, weaving poetically through the collection. This emphasis on restrained elegance is quintessential to Vanhee-Cybulski’s vision, where the opulence of materials and craftsmanship triumphs without need for ostentation.

Braving the persistent Parisian drizzle, K-pop star Sandara Park led the pack at Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, captivating the audience in a punk-tinged corset adorned with pearls and brandishing a “Noblesse” sign to the flurry of camera flashes. The show started with an eccentric performance in the brightly lit atrium, where musicians conjured natural sounds amid tree stumps, setting a whimsical tone that mirrored the collection’s historical and rebellious spirit.

The opening ensembles transported the audience back in time amid contemporary fusions, channeling the essence of a serf, the medieval agricultural laborer. The designs cleverly incorporated leggings, jockstraps resembling codpieces, mystical talismanic pendants, and tear-shaped cutouts on thick knit sweaters that conjured up tales of yore.