The imminent arrival of the Paris Olympics is the talk of Haute Couture Week – and, if the first day was anything to go by, the inspiration point of this season’s collections. At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri recalled the classical silhouettes of the event’s Ancient Greek roots, while Thom Browne riffed on American sportswear and ended his runway show with a medal ceremony of his own (here, though, the Chaumet-designed medals of the real games were replaced with models in gold, silver and bronze embroidered blazers). Meanwhile four-time gold medal winner Serena Williams took her seat front row, joining the usual phalanx of high-profile guests who travel to Paris for the haute couture shows, which represent the pinnacle of French craft (a legally protected term, couture refers to made-to-order gowns constructed entirely by hand for private clients).
Elsewhere at the week, there was the first Chanel show since the departure of creative director Virginie Viard yesterday (a replacement is yet to be announced), while a guest collection by Courrèges’ Nicolas di Felice at Jean Paul Gaultier was shown on Wednesday (previous guest designers have included Simone Rocha, Haider Ackermann and Olivier Rousteing). Shows from Armani Privé, Balenciaga and Viktor & Rolf rounded out the week.
