Images: Imaxtree
The haute couture shows definitely looked different this season. Heavyweights Elie Saab, Givenchy and Zuhair Murad actually skipped Paris this time around. But there was still plenty to see. Especially since the major couturiers supplied a little escapism as we took in the Spring 2021 collections from the comfort of our own homes.
Iris van Herpen kicked things off by proving sustainable and recycled materials are just as luxurious as new fabrics. At Christian Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri drew inspiration from tarot cards. Then it was on to Olivier Theyskens’ second haute couture outing at Azzaro. And this was only day one.
Chanel’s presentation saw models walk a petal-strewn runway wearing an array of dresses fit for a prom, waistcoats made out of the fashion house’s signature tweed and satin shirts teamed with ruffled skirts. Pierpaolo Piccioli remained in Rome to present Valentino’s showcase featuring an army of models strutting in Instagram-worthy platform heels. Meanwhile, Alexandre Vauthier is clearly ready to party judging by his 80s-inspired collection.
Kim Jones closed out the week by making his Fendi debut. Demi Moore, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington helped flaunt the 19-look collection by walking around a set of Perspex cases that proved perfect for social distancing.
Click through the slideshow to discover all the hits and misses of the season, according to our unfiltered forum members.
Paris Haute Couture Spring 2021 Hits and Misses
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HIT: Armani Privé
"Beautiful collection. Classic haute couture. The jackets are absolutely divine! The velvet segment is amazing." [GivenchyAddict]
"Armani never betrays himself. It's super chic." [WAVES]
"I’ll always recognize his work. It may not be the most exciting, but he is a master and his clothes speak for themselves. You know what to expect and I appreciate that these days." [marsnoop2]
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MISS: Chanel
"Chanel has become hopeless at this point...those big ruffled dresses are just horrid." [Mercredi]
"There is absolutely nothing showing 'tailoring' in this collection, which is the fundamental element for couture. Silhouettes of all the looks are so casual and sloppy, nothing structural, nothing in very fine 3-D detail, nothing experimental and bold, just a bunch of dresses and cardigans with fancy beads and sequins..." [chanelh]
"Unbelievable how you can have the best team in the world and yet produce that tasteless, lazy and awful collection. For me that was the last Chanel show to watch under Virginie Viard's direction, it's just a waste of time and energy." [Olaffo]
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HIT: Valentino
"I LOVE THIS. The more the collection progressed, the more I fell in love with it. It's so perfectly done I bet the couture is in the details. So many beautiful pieces here." [Salvatore]
"I love this. Glamour and sex appeal but refined and sophisticated." [MyNameIs]
"What a surprise. I am glad Pierpaolo Piccioli has moved away from embroidered tents this time. Indeed very refreshing. The long, fluid gowns are my favorites. Very sleek-looking. Love the gloves which add that old glamour feel." [avonlea002]
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MISS: Christian Dior
"This is way too literal, the whole collection looks dusty. Nobody wants to dress like this in 2021." [Mercredi]
"So tired of Maria Grazia Chiuri and her obsession with astrology, embroidery, the circus and horses." [RedSmokeRise]
"This looks more like a Game of Thrones spin-off teaser than a Dior haute couture collection...it's depression-inducing! And it looks dusty." [jeanclaude]
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HIT: Schiaparelli
"Just loved everything. A big YES to me!" [thatsfierce]
"I'm pleasantly surprised! Finally a Schiaparelli collection that isn't tortured." [perhydrol]
"Love the brashy, maximalist and retro vibe. It's showy and unapologetic." [Benn98]
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MISS: Fendi
"Scary and depressing." [Velasco]
"Kim Jones' sense of color is terrible and his choice of fabric is even worse, which is probably due to his lack of sensibility for couture. Those silhouettes are very outdated..." [JohannesL]
"No one expected the reinvention of the wheel from Kim Jones at Fendi, but this completely drab, ill-fitted and dismal collection is almost shocking in its total failure on every level..." [zoom]
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HIT: Alexis Mabille
"I surprisingly like quite a lot of this: the sequin trench, the gray miniskirt number, the green dress, the hooded one and the black coat dress." [YohjiAddict]
"I liked that little purple hood moment. There's something powerful about hooded gowns and jumpsuits." [aracic]
"I'm oddly enough taken by the floor-length sequin number. Maybe it's the presentation, but this looks stunning. The slicked-back hair and makeup, cold, android-like models and such glamorous dresses. I can picture a modern woman in these looks." [Benn98]
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MISS: Iris van Herpen
"Iris must switch it up and fast. Some of her dresses are starting to look like Zuhair Murad." [Benn98]
"Iris van Copy and Paste...it's the same again! Maybe some looks are slightly different here, but it still ends up looking the same as always." [jeanclaude]
"Hmm. Where can she go? It's very clear she's not very strong at making clothes one can inhabit." [RedSmokeRise]
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MISS: Giambattista Valli
"One-trick ruffle..." [jeanclaude]
"Tulle galore. What's new here? It's the same collection they've been presenting for like a decade. Move on, please!" [aracic]
"At this point, I'm not even sure he needs to continue doing couture. It's been a never-ending collection drowned in tulle and ruffles." [perhydrol]
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MISS: Alexandre Vauthier
"I like him but this is his worst, mediocre, forgettable, uninspired and tired work so far." [entten]
"Um, NO! To all of it. It's like a first-year design student's love song to Anthony Vaccarello. Unimaginative." [Benn98]
"Wake me up when he's moved on." [TaylorBinque]
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MISS: Viktor & Rolf
"They were so promising. What happened?" [THD96]
"What’s their excuse this year for all the patchwork? I feel like they’ve been doing patchwork every season for the last couple of years." [mikel]
"It's as tragic as Givenchy's couture collection for Fall 2002 designed by Julien Macdonald. There's no joy, no passion, it's just a hot mess." [perhydrol]
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MISS: Azzaro
"As far as the pics allow to show, it seems there is more work in the whole photoshoot than in the clothes. Underwhelming! I was expecting more from Olivier Theyskens." [jeanclaude]
"I'm sure the quality of the clothes is insane, but aesthetically they don't differ much from the collections done by the previous designer of Azzaro. I get that Olivier wants to get that coin because he needs it for his own brand, but so far it's been a rather disappointing experience." [perhydrol]
"For the second time the underwhelming presentation makes the collection look like an afterthought." [Lola701]
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MISS: Ulyana Sergeenko
"Ulyana sweetie, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Save your coins for something different and stop polluting haute couture week with this cheap mess." [avonlea002]
"Garbage. Pure garbage." [TianCouture]
"The art deco set is the only interesting thing here." [jeanclaude]
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MISS: Charles de Vilmorin
"Kansai Yamamoto on acid." [jeanclaude]
"Women as clowns, just what was missing in fashion." [tatouejeremie]
"Makes my head hurt while giving me flashes of Richard Quinn for all the wrong reasons. It has edgy London written all over it. So what's the point of trying to pass it off as couture?" [Benn98]
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MISS: Julie de Libran
"Expensive handmade Zara?" [jeanclaude]
"It just looks like Stradivarius at best. I feel like this is what she does until brands hire her." [THD96]
"Seriously, what‘s the point?" [liberty33r1b]
