PARIS (AP) 鈥� Chloe revisited its vibrant 1970s essence, infused with late Karl Lagerfeld鈥檚 indelible influence, while propelling the brand into a new era for the debut show of its new designer Chemena Kamali on Thursday at .
Despite Lagerfeld鈥檚 lasting presence in the brand aesthetic, Kamali is the latest in a swathe of female designers 鈥� including Gabriela Hearst, Clare Waight Keller and Phoebe Philo 鈥� at the helm of the storied Maison. This is apt for the house credited with inventing ready-to-wear in the 1950s post-war period that liberated women from the constraints of formality.
Here are some highlights of Thursday鈥檚 fall-winter 2024 shows:
CHLOE鈥橲 DYNASTIES LOOK TO THE FUTURE
Going back to its roots 鈥� or close enough 鈥� Kamali challenged the brand鈥檚 70s heyday and, in the process, pulled in the great and good of the fashion world for her debut. This show was among the hottest tickets at Paris Fashion Week.
Attendees were a who鈥檚 who of fashion dynasties 鈥� harking back to the past and looking to the future. Pat Cleveland, the iconic model 鈥� and one of the first women of color anywhere to attain success on the runway, in the 1960s and 1970s 鈥� entered into a flurry of camera snaps with her model daughter, Anna Cleveland.
The fashion dynasty was followed shortly by Jerry Hall and Georgia May Jagger, the model daughter of Hall and Mick Jagger. They nestled into their cushioned seats near Mikhaela Aghion, the granddaughter of Chloe鈥檚 founder, Gaby Aghion.
KAMALI'S DEBUT
Kamali, a 42-year-old designer from D眉sseldorf who rose the ranks inside the house, said a 鈥渟ense of nostalgia鈥� and 鈥渟omething that triggers a memory鈥� is at the heart of the brand 鈥� seen not just in the stars who attended but also the clothes that had one foot in the past and the other in the future.
For fall, diaphanous tiers of 1970s flounce in almost angelically light hues defined the show鈥檚 aesthetic inside a brutalist warehouse space. The gorged-out concrete and visibly rough plaster gently contrasted the femininity inherent in the designs.
The solid collection had plenty of moments of whimsy. Exaggeratedly floaty dresses were sometimes chicly tucked into giant sheeny thigh-high leather pirate boots adding unexpected styling contrasts.
So, too, did the occasional sheen of gold-metal Chloe belts, golden grape neck clasps, or the occasional giant brown leather handbag almost as big as the model holding it. Layering, statement fur, and pirate-style tights also put the style dial firmly in the late 1970s.
Kamali said she aimed to honor the brand鈥檚 heritage of liberation and innovation.
鈥淕aby (Aghion) wanted to liberate women from the stiffness of couture (in the 1950s)," she told reporters, connecting the brand鈥檚 inception to its ongoing mission. 鈥淪he was one of the first to actually do ready-to-wear because she wanted women to be able to move and go to work.鈥�
Reflecting on the transformative 鈥淜arl Era,鈥� Kamali said that Lagerfeld was so influential 鈥渋n the late 鈥�70s (as he) was someone who could look into the past and the future simultaneously.鈥�
In a touching moment, capturing that vibe, Kamali dedicated the show to her father, who recently passed away. Her young son jumped up unscripted into her arms from the audience as she stepped forward to the applause.
GIVENCHY鈥橲 DESIGNER-LESS DISPLAY CHANNELS MUSES
One more installment of Paris Fashion Week brought another designer-less Givenchy display to the (albeit sublimely chic) Avenue George V headquartered salons. While the LVMH-owned brand鈥檚 decor was minimal 鈥� a pared-down affair across the bare wooden Point d鈥橦ongrie parquet 鈥� it compensated with buzz as well-wishers crowded the famous Parisian avenue, and VIP guests were lavished with champagne.
The Givenchy studio took the reins for ready-to-wear again, unveiling whimsical designs with inventiveness inspired, it said, by 鈥渟eduction,鈥� and the 鈥渇lirtatious and suggestive aspects of the muses who inspired the founder鈥� Hubert de Givenchy.
The collection opened with a mini dress featuring a scratched metallic-like surface texture, a contemporary contrast to its long, classical train. Stiff swirling neck scarves introduced a major banding theme, echoing in rigid band panels adorning the bust of a signature little black dress 鈥� like the one famously donned by muse Audrey Hepburn 鈥� in a notable fashion-forward gesture.
Oversized statement fur coats added on-trend glamour, alongside a loose A-line woolen coat with an off-kilter back and an array of gleaming gold and bejeweled earrings. Yet, amidst the acclaim, a faint murmur among attendees suggested a lack of a cohesive, creative backbone. Could this stem from the knowledge the storied house was navigating here without its captain, following Matthew Williams鈥� departure announced in December last year?
The hope remains that this great Parisian Maison will soon find Williams鈥� successor.
RICK OWENS鈥� OTHERWORLDLY EDGE IN PORTERVILLE COLLECTION
The latest showcase from American fashion maestro was an avant-garde exploration of anthropomorphism, presenting a universe where human and alien blurred. Owens鈥� ready-to-wear collection, dubbed Porterville after the California town of his youth, served as a namesake and muse for this season. Emblazoned logos on tops pay homage to Owens鈥� roots and catapulted the audience into a display of bleak displacement and surreal, unhuman references.
Models emerged as if stepping out of the future, their silhouettes dramatically elongated by boots reminiscent of insect limbs or exaggerated horse hooves and heads crowned with caps that merged the equestrian with the cosmic explorer. Silver balled pendants added an ancient and futuristic aura to the collection鈥檚 unique edge.
Owens鈥� signature embrace of volume came in the airbag-like body wrappings, while High Priestess-style spiked shoulders on duvet jackets and the primal fierceness of fluffed jumpsuits and capes conveyed a sense of protection.
LEOPARD PRINT, 70s AND SWAG AT ISABEL MARANT
, the quintessential Parisian designer with an uncanny ability to capture the essence of La Parisienne, took a dive into the 1970s. With a boho-chic spirit that has become synonymous with Marant鈥檚 brand DNA, the evening outdoor show was a vibrant revamp of retro aesthetics.
Leopard prints hid out, making appearances throughout the collection 鈥攑eeking from beneath the lining of a coat collar or adorning leggings under a cascade of richly layered autumnal hues. The collection鈥檚 swagger was further amped up with buckled, baggy leather pants that flowed into fringed 鈥�70s boots, evoking an insouciance. Low-slung belts, adorned with black and gold buckles, cinched added a further touch of effortless cool.
Marant鈥檚 Parisian roots are evident in her fusion of ethnic bohemia with a tomboy street chic that has long captivated fashion insiders. Her adeptness at making mundane pieces alluring was showcased in the reinterpretation of a beige boiler suit, which, under her creative direction, even exuded femininity.
Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press
