This is our unfiltered review of the first ever digital couture week. Here, stay up to date on all the top fall 2020 Paris couture shows directly from couture week in Paris.
For the first time in history, the Paris couture shows are going digital. Due to the pandemic, fashion weeks worldwide are being cancelled and postponed. In lieu of live runway shows, brands are putting together digital content (mainly videos) to showcase their latest collections. As such, the entire Fall/Winter 2020 couture collections are going live on the digital platform that typically sets the schedule for Paris Couture Week.
As someone who has covered the couture collections live from Paris for the past four years, this is a huge change and something I’m super interested in. Sure, it makes sense for brands to go digital due to COVID-19, but in other ways, this has also been something that’s been coming for a very long time. Fashion week is costly, as well as bad for the environment. For reporters, writers, editors and buyers, it’s also exhausting. But I can’t help but wonder, how can couture–the world’s most elusive, expensive and custom clothing–compete on the same platform with all ready-to-wear brands doing “digital” shows as well?
After all, some of the most exciting shows of the year are during the couture season. It’s an all-out assault of the senses in the very best way. Brands take things to the next level with immaculate set designs that transport, compelling makeup and hair that tells part of the story, and of course, clothing that is meant to be seen up-close-and-personal. It’s one thing to see clothing move through space digitally on a video, but it’s another thing entirely to see, for example, an Iris Van Herpen 3D printed gown illuminate the room, or a fleet of Guo Pei dresses prancing through a room, moving with an almost sinister amount of glamour.
Of course, couture is dying, and this digital fashion week makes that even more clear. At only three days, the schedule is shorter than ever. All the designers who normally participate are there, but jamming everything into three days online makes it feel succinct to the point of levity. There’s less space to think about the impact and work of each designer and each collection, and for people who are normally in Paris for the shows but have to cover remotely this season, there’s no magic in waking up and having almost all of the “shows” over and posted everywhere already.
Still, I’m interested to see how labels can take these elements of the digital world and go forward with fashion week in an innovative way. For now, I don’t think doing strictly video is the right move. Read about the shows of Paris Couture Week Fall 2020 Day 1 here and day 2 here.
Here, some mini reviews of the standout shows of the Fall/Winter 2020 Paris Couture Week day 3:
Paris Couture Week Fall 2020: Maison Margiela Fall 2020 Couture
Mysterious as ever, Maison Margiela has decided to release its Artisanal Co-ed Collection on the couture calander in four installments. Showcased as moving imagery over four different stages, it will conclude in a final revelation on July 16th, 2020.
From a simple glance at the first installment released today, we don’t know much except that the visual aesthetic is a bold one. But Maison Margiela has a bigger plan in place: the upcoming film by Nick Knight will star Leon Dame, the model who literally stomped and ran down the spring 2020 runway and instantly became a star.
Continuing the theme of upcycling fabrics and ideas from the fashion house, John Galliano’s forthcoming collection will hint at that as well. Stay tuned for the ultimate reveal.
Paris Couture Week Fall 2020: Guo Pei Fall 2020 Couture
During couture week, one definitely expects Guo Pei to deliver. Her shows are by far some of the most whimsically extreme, when it comes to both presentation and craftsmanship. For Guo Pei’s fall 2020 collection, the brand created a video in which the designer talked about her inspiration. She was inspired by an animal exhibition at the Museum of Natural History and thus took cues and aesthetic references from the physical appearance of the animals.
The first half of the video shows Pei talking about her inspiration and process, zooming in on the intricate details. My favorite moment is when she talks about how she used sheep’s wool to do a felting technique with embroidery. It’s both unexpected and exciting, something you wouldn’t normally think of being a “couture” technique.
Later, the video turns into more of an editorial, highlighting the different looks of the collection. Somehow, Pei has found a way to make the animal faces, trunks, legs and furs look sophisticated and elegant rather than costume-y. An elephant’s face emerges from the side of a blazer, giraffes seamlessly highlight the broad shoulders of one of her geometric gowns, felted zebra heads look like they are sculpted down the backs of the blossoming jackets and gowns. It’s a never-ending wonderland.
Paris Couture Week Fall 2020: Viktor and Rolf Fall 2020 Couture
Viktor & Rolf is another highlight of couture week, always. Always injecting a sense of humor and over-the-top craftsmanship, the brand retained its self of self while going fully digital for couture fall 2020. The video opens up with a speaker, describing the inspiration and collection in vapid detail. It recalls the old style salon shows of the early couture days, as each piece is described in detail.
For the occasion, Viktor and Rolf created three wardrobe for three different mindsets in these extraordinary times of change. It starts out with clothing for a sombre mood. There are rain clouds, robes meant to be worn inside the house only and lots of references to social distancing. Standouts include the range of emojis pictured on one dress as well as a sculptural piece with giant spikes (great for social distancing). I really loved how the designers played with couture and humor under the guide of the pandemic. There were plenty of reworked “couture” house robes with massive bows.
At the end of the video, it’s clear that Viktor and Rolf were focused on the change that has occurred in fashion as a result of the pandemic. Rather than create something bleak and uninspiring, the final result is surprisingly lighthearted and fun.
And that concludes couture week fall 2020!
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