Fashion Week open to all, from Lanvin to Gauchere and Vautrait

There’s nothing more exciting during Paris Fashion Week than immersing yourself in 360-degree creativity. All the brands are on the same footing, each with its own slot in the official or “off” calendar, giving them each their 15 minutes of fame. You can go from the presentation of a legendary house, such as Lanvin, to the runway show of a designer brand like Gauchere, before discovering an interesting new name, such as Vautrait, whose Israeli designer Yonathan Carmel showed for the first time in Paris, on the bangs of the official week.

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Present on the Paris catwalks since March 2020, Gauchere continues on its trajectory with ever more contemporary collections that move away from the couture rigor that characterized its beginnings. For this Spring/Summer 2024 collection, German founder and designer Marie-Christine Statz seeks more than ever to capture the present moment with androgynous, edgy and urban silhouettes.
 
The style remains minimalist, but seems to have a more youthful allure with ultra-short shorts or tank tops and second-skin knits layered over comfortable pants, like loose-fitting fleece joggers. “I tried to translate the fragmentation that characterizes our age, where we’re always hyper-connected and everything moves very fast. This sensation is conveyed through superimpositions, contrasting materials and, above all, a body that frees itself. The suit is deconstructed and becomes more organic,” explains the designer backstage.

The outfits were extremely simple, playing on contrasts and unexpected materials. Everything was perfectly calibrated between volume and a tighter fit, between tailoring and a sportier edge. For example, a sheer chiffon dress was slipped under an opaque leather jacket. Numerous leather pieces were also present, in black or various colours. From poolside flip-flops, which replaced sandals, to trench coats and pants, as well as tops and draped dresses.
 
The range of accessories is enriched by bags and shoes. These include the chic pumps introduced last year, designed as ruched ballerinas, giving them the look of leather overshoes. This season, Gauchere also introduced its first eyewear models, created in collaboration with French-Californian eyewear manufacturer Ahlem.

For Spring/Summer 2024, Lanvin is returning to its origins, focusing on very high-end ready-to-wear, with many highly-worked evening pieces. Deprived of its creative director Bruno Sialelli since last April, the house of the Chinese Lanvin Group (formerly Fosun) has entrusted the production of this new collection to its studio, while waiting to announce the name of its next creative director, who has already been selected and will be unveiled before the end of the year.
 
The wardrobe is made up of 25 looks, only ten of which were presented to the press on Thursday at the label’s Paris headquarters, a beautiful mansion overlooking the Parc Monceau. Most were cocktail or evening dresses paired with long, glamorous gloves in black or blue Lanvin leather. In delicate tulle and silk, they were decorated with metallic micro-patterns or crystals and rhinestones, or embroidered with mini white pearls.
 
Fishnet or wide-weave tunics are embellished with lace or tiny jewelry elements, while men can flaunt a tuxedo illuminated by silver fringed embroidery. The ensemble exudes the Deco style so dear to Jeanne Lanvin. Some models are more discreet, like a trench coat with wide sleeves.

 
One of the great newcomers to Paris Fashion Week, Vautrait stood out with an accomplished collection of sophisticated constructions. The young Israeli designer Yonathan Carmel, showing for the first time in Paris, enjoys deconstructing garments, recomposing them with unexpected details, such as a sleeve that suddenly detaches itself from a trench coat, creating a void on one shoulder, or a cardigan and white shirt that spiral around the bust, hugging it.
 
“I’m obsessed with tailoring, but in general it applies mainly to menswear. My idea is to use these techniques to make them more fluid,” says the designer, who favors oversized volumes, feigned simplicity, muted tones and natural materials, such as linen used to compose a generously proportioned men’s suit or transparent impalpable silk, which transforms into a delicate evening gown.
 
After three years of military service and a year studying philosophy, Yonathan Carmel, aged 27 decided to pursue a career in fashion. He attended fashion schools in London and Tel Aviv, while learning the trade on the job. In 2021, he founded his own fashion house, Vautrait, named after one of his French ancestors from Tunisia. For the past year, he has been distributed by showroom Boon. In two seasons, it has attracted five multi-brand boutiques in Japan, China, Dubai and Ukraine, as well as in France, where it is sold in the Grande Boutique in Aix-en-Provence.