What happened in Paris… A director-less Dior, sport luxe from Versace and a love letter to Paris from Giambattista Valli.
First off, meet Ralph & Russo—if you haven’t made their acquaintance yet.
The British house fronted by Australian-born Tamara Ralph were invited into the illustrious fold of Paris Haute Couture Week in 2014.
This year the duo, the other half which is Michael Russo, did not disappoint with their dazzling floral confections. From dressing Beyoncé to counting Uma Thurman and Rita Ora among their fans, Ralph & Russo are the quiet achievers, taking couture to thoroughly modern heights… A good Aussie underdog story at Haute Couture Week, their “invited” status precludes them from using the full term, haute couture, to label their art.
Elsewhere, Giambattista Valli, thanked Paris for its hospitality with a show stopping collection of voluminous tulle, Empire gowns and embellished cocktail dresses. Those photo-ready ruffles flooded many a fashion enthusiast’s instagram feed earlier this week.
For devotees of Dior, SS16 without Raf Simons was akin to a rudderless ship, or more accurately a captain-less one. Though the imprint of Raf, who quit the house late last year, was there in the seams and lines—as a ghost of couture past.
You couldn’t really fault the team that stepped up, though. Serge Ruffieux and Lucie Meier from Dior’s core creative were rather bashful when taking to the stage after the show. It remains to be seen though whether the ship can weather the storm without a visionary at the helm again.
At Atelier Versace, activewear was given the couture treatment. Donatella Versace is all about the super toned and bronzed body, which is most-oft revealed in bodycon, peep holes and artfully slashed fabric. Models, among them heavy hitters like Gigi Hadid and Rosie Huntington-Whitely, were styled with signature Donatella middle part hair. Bold, poppy colours, bright white and sporty fixtures such as ropey elastic rounded out the sportif looks at SS16.
Armani Privé‘s purple haze, capped by noir chic tresses was a monochromatic daze in the best of ways—soft shades of lilac and lavender. Textures, ruffles, ethereal silhouettes… the looks were lauded for their Oscar-readiness. Cate Blanchett, take note.
To see more behind-the-scenes looks, head to current L’Officiel favourite, Carine Roitfeld‘s Fashion Book. Here a lingering look will quickly see a new bookmark in your browser.