Couture has been considered the height of fashion since 1858 when British designer Charles Frederick Worth established his first couture house in Paris.
These days, the glamour is enhanced by buzzy, celebrity-filled front rows, an occasional celebrity on the runway, and elaborate fashion creations that will influence fashion’s approach to new techniques and silhouettes, as seen via the impact of quiet luxury throughout July’s couture season.
Couture’s January timing is extra important due to red carpet season, with many looks expected to be seen on Hollywood nominees. Case in point: Celine Dion presenting at the Grammys wearing the latest Valentino couture.
Off the red carpet, at the shows themselves, Zendaya emulated the aesthetic of her upcoming role in “Dune: Part Two” at the Schiaparelli haute couture show wearing a black turtleneck with button braids and architectural satin maxiskirt that resembled a horse’s tail; actress and brand ambassador Natalie Portman sat in the front row at Dior haute couture (and met Rihanna outside the show), and actress Kelly Rutherford channeled her always-polished, iconic Instagram mirror-selfies, also in and at Dior.
Celebrity, together with influence — see Kylie Jenner, her daughter Stormi Webster, and mother, Kris Jenner sitting front row at Valentino haute couture — and the sheer gorgeousness of the gowns have made couture one of the biggest fashion events of the season.
Celebrities can also become leading characters in the presentations, as Gwendoline Christie did when closing the megawatt Maison Margiela Artisanal couture spring 2024 show, which brought back high glamor and head-turning beauty, orchestrated by Dame Pat McGrath, and big theatrics to close the week.
Galliano’s ode to the “underbelly of Paris” solidified the biggest trends throughout Couture week: transparency, architectural volumes, daytime dresses and and the highly accentuated waist.
Daniel Roseberry kicked off the season on a high note with a Schiaparelli collection filled with architectural delights and new volumes.
Elsewhere, bejeweled looks from Zuhair Murad and Fendi; white bridal designs by Jean Paul Gaultier by Simone Rocha and Elie Saab, and transparencies from Armani Prive and RVDK Ronald van der Kemp sent the message of high craftsmanship and quintessential couture.
Pierpaolo Picciolo showed elevated daytime dressing options and capes in his Valentino collection.
“I want the kind of crowd that used to be in the salon de couture when couture was born, but with different kinds of clothes that belong to this time, because I want all of this process of couture to become contemporary,” he told WWD.
Now that’s the power of Couture.