After London, New York and Milan, Fashion Week continues in Paris until tomorrow, Tuesday, October 6. The spring-summer 2021 fashion shows are presented there, even if the majority of the houses have decided to unveil their collections online due to the health crisis.
This season in Paris, the situation is the same as in other capitals: of the 84 houses listed in the fashion show calendar, only 18 are offering a physical show. Among those offering a show were Dior, Kenzo, Balmain, Acne Studios, Chloe, and Chanel.
To present its spring-summer 2021 collection, Kenzo chose the National Institute for Young Deaf People, rue Henri-Barbusse, near the Luxembourg Gardens. The 120 or so guests present are greeted by a small honey pot on the seat, arranged between reeds. The spirit of Kenzo can be found in the collection presented, with outfits inspired by those of beekeepers, overalls and hats adorned with a long protective veil.
The theme of the collection revolves around the “blur”, as much in the forms as in the patterns. In a handwritten letter, the creator, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, explains: ” The world is lost and everyone is trying to find meaning, order. But how to bring answers in this context that nobody understands ? ”.
For its part, Acne Studios is introducing its spring-summer 2021 collection in an empty room at the Grand Palais in Paris. The fashion show is presented as an exhibition in the temple of culture, and guests discover the collection as they move from room to room, watching the models pass by. A collaboration with the American artist Ben Quinn, whose work is strongly inspired by the supernatural, is unveiled. A mystical and astral atmosphere surrounds the designer’s collection.
“I’ve always been interested in periods of transition, those in-between moments when everything seems possible. This collection is about optimism, transformation and rebirth “, says designer Jonny Johansson.
Balmain’s spring-summer 2021 collection was presented at the Jardin des Plantes. Among the guests in the first three rows were celebrities behind television screens. Anna Wintour, Cindy Crawford, Kris Jenner and other regulars who could not be present at the parade due to the pandemic, played their roles and still participated in the parade, dressed in Balmain clothes. A tribute to Pierre Balmain was paid, with the opening of the fashion show inspired by his years at the head of the haute couture house. The couturier’s former models were on the runway for the occasion, dressed in eccentric accessories in honor of his roaring twenties.
The rest of the collection imagined by Olivier Rousteing oscillates between the almost historic elegance of high heels and pointed shoulders, and the audacity, more inspired by the current influence, with flashys outfits. The fashion show is closed by two children, who arrive on the catwalk with remote controls and turn off the televisions where the guests were remotely located. A striking and original parade, to say the least.
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Featured photo: Kenzo © Filippo Fior
