Chanel and Armani celebrate big milestones at Paris couture week

Haute couture week in Paris showcased extraordinary designs and had plenty of celebratory moments.

Haute couture is an enigma to most. Accessible to only a select few (an estimated few thousand people globally) because of the eye-watering price tags that such extraordinary designs command, the fashion designers who partake in the exclusive event in Paris must ensure that strict criteria are met, in order to be approved by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, France’s governing fashion body. Taking place following men’s fashion week, during which ready-to-wear designs are shown, the haute couture shows serve a wholly different purpose. The pieces are not intended for everyday wear and cannot simply be purchased off the rails at a department store (couture clients make direct orders and have private fittings). With that, the designs are often more experimental than commercial, and showcase exceptional savoir-faire. The week had plenty of celebratory moments, including Chanel’s 110 years in haute couture. Presented in the Grand Palais, on a runway that featured a crossing C formed by two monumental staircases, reflecting the house’s double-C logo, the collection was designed by the studio while awaiting the arrival of new designer Matthieu Blazy, who is expected to join by April 2025. The cropped skirt-suits in richly embroidered tweeds, embellished hem and shoulder lines, soft silk shirt dresses and capes with pussy-bow fastening offered a fresh take on the French house’s classic codes. Another big milestone was celebrated by Giorgio Armani, who celebrated 20 years of his couture line Armani Privé with a collection that explored themes of light and shimmer. Titled “Lumières” (French for “light” and “enlightenment”, the 90-year-old designer’s show was held at the newly acquired Palazzo Armani in the 8th arrondissement, a lavish private mansion complete with gilded moldings and a marble staircase. The collection, comprised of 94 looks, including beaded suits, sleek peplums, silky Mao jackets, crystal-encrusted evening gowns and 1920-inspired headpieces, revisited iconic moments of his career, providing a dialogue between the glamour of more recent and distant pasts, When it comes to Armani’s work, the devil really is in the details.