Valentino: Couture AW21
As the sun set on the Venice lagoon, Valentino’s couture models swept past in billowing taffeta gowns, like glorious galleons in full sail. Pierpaolo Piccioli had built a catwalk around the city’s ancient shipyard which is steeped in maritime history.
Pyer Moss: Couture AW21
Last night was one for the history books. Kerby Jean-Raymond, founder of New York label Pyer Moss, became the first Black American designer to show at Paris Haute Couture week. Though the show wasn’t in Paris, but at the estate
Maison Margiela: 2021 Artisanal
John Galliano’s approach to couture at Margiela is fascinating. He’s one of fashion’s great storytellers. Each collection has a narrative, every item has a back story and even the crafting process is part of the plot. The starting point for his
Fendi: Couture AW21
Kim Jones is getting used to calling himself a couturier – the fashion equivalent of being a chess grand master or a tenth Dan Karate black belt. “I’ve earned my stripes," he says. That he has. His second couture collection
Charles de Vilmorin: Couture AW21
Back in January, Charles de Vilmorin made his debut on the official Haute Couture schedule. Since, he has been appointed the creative director Rochas – pretty neat for a designer who's barely 24, right? He's got a lot of pressure
Gaultier Paris x Sacai: Couture AW21
Gaultier’s spectacular farewell couture show, held just as the pandemic struck, was more of an au revoir than a final goodbye. He took a step back from the catwalk but created a new business model, giving guest designers the keys
Balenciaga: Couture AW21
So who was this burly figure with head wrapped completely in a swathe of scarf? A security guard perhaps, called in to watch over the very important people viewing of the first Balenciaga Couture collection since the death of founder
Giorgio Armani Privé: Couture AW21
Photography Christina Fragkou Giorgio Armani created a moment of timeless elegance with his Haute Couture show, held in the marbled grandeur of the Italian embassy in Paris. He called his collection Shine and that it did. Luminous, iridescent, silk organza, looked
Chanel: Couture AW21
Virginie Viard was inspired by paintings for her joyful Chanel Couture collection that burst with decorative flourish. The designer referenced Marie Laurencin’s Jazz Age portrait of Chanel and the work of the French Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot, who in turn
Schiaparelli: Couture AW21
"This collection is a total surrender to the iconic codes of couture, to the point of fetishisation," says Schiaparelli's Daniel Roseberry, who is carving himself as one of fashion's true showmen. Through the pandemic, the American designer has propelled himself
Dior: Couture AW21
Photography Christina Fragkou After two fairy tale fashion films, Maria Grazia Chiuri was intent on celebrating the return of Dior Couture to the physical realm, with a show that majored on tactile fabrics and handmade detailing. It was an homage to
ALAÏA: Couture AW21
Team 10 couldn’t be at Pieter Mulier's debut show for Alaïa but legendary scribe Suzy Menkes was there. The leading fashion authority gives us her verdict: After Alaïa: A New Broom Sweeps His World Pieter Mulier steps away from Raf Simons to