The Return and Redefinement of Paris Fashion Week

Avery Martin and Nghi Doan, Managing News Editors

Liv Waters wearing Giambattistia Valli (Photo by Filippo Fior)

Haute couture brands are out of their ateliers, and back on the runaway with their debut looks for Spring 2022 at Paris Fashion Week. From tweed to chiffon, leather to lace, and A-list celebrities to new talent, Paris Fashion Week brought the comeback of brands like Saint Laurent, and Giambattista Valli, but also saw changes in typical collections from the classic brands, such as Chanel. 

Saint Laurent, with their cutting edge styles, illuminated underneath the Eiffel Tower, presented a business casual style featuring 80’s style blazers, neutrals across the board with hints of vibrant blues and reds, and leather gloves that add the perfect amount of sophistication and prominence to the looks. The abundance of statement gold jewelry pieces, shoulder pads, and hints of masculinity in the collection introduce a sense of androgyny, while still keeping the timeless style of Yves Saint Laurent. 

Giambattista Valli graced the runway with a contemporary take on romanticism, in the modern art museum of Paris, and a climate of florals, pastels, and featherweight dresses. Valli presented his audience with a garden of colors – greens, pinks, reds, blues – found across ruffled dresses, jacquard suits, and tweed mini dresses. This collection was a rendition of beauty that captured the essence of modern femininity directed towards younger fashion fanatics, certainly catching the attention of both consumers and critics as to what Valli will create next.   

It wouldn’t be Paris Fashion Week without the very epitome of Parisian couture, Coco Chanel. This year’s runway saw alterations in Chanel’s classic, timeless style. The collection featured different variations of pastel tweed 1960s inspired mini dresses, black sequined blazers and bikinis,

Rianne van Rompaey wearing Chanel (Photo by Alessandro Lucioni)

but also a new style: lightweight fabrics decorated with designs of butterflies. The colorful looks completely departed from the brand’s previous staple patterns. Chanel redefined itself, drifting from their timeless business chic style, instead favouring a looser, casulistic style completed with small meniscal details of gold plated jewelry as preservation of its origin. Since the death of Karl Lagerfield in 2019, the brand’s comeback into the world of high fashion continues to showcase the chic effortless Chanel style that we know today. This year, however, fostered a new sense of excitement as to what the future of Chanel looks like. 

The much anticipated return of Paris Fashion Week showcased Spring 2022 Ready-to-Wear collections, and alterations in bran

Anna Herrera wearing Saint Laurent
(Photo by Alessandro Lucioni)

ds’ typical styles were seen across the board.