Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week Fall 2021 just wrapped. The season marked a semiofficial return to in-person fashion shows. Designers gave us plenty of fantastic and exquisitely-crafted creations to fawn over. But there were definitely a few lackluster offerings as well.
The fashion pack flocked to see Maria Grazia Chiuri’s latest Christian Dior haute couture collection featuring rich tweeds and decorated dresses. Meanwhile over at Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry rejected the idea of cookie-cutter fashion. Giambattista Valli certainly took high fashion (and hair) to new heights. And Virginie Viard tried to put a fresh spin on Chanel’s signature house codes.
The most anticipated show of the season? Obviously, the unveiling of Balenciaga‘s first haute couture collection in 53 years. Chitose Abe of Sacai presented her rendition of classic Jean Paul Gaultier. Giorgio Armani proved elegance is always in style. For his second haute couture outing at Fendi, Kim Jones presented a contemporary collection modeled by an impressive cast, including Paulina Porizkova.
Keep reading to discover all the hits and misses of the season. Well, at least according to our unfiltered forum members.
Hits and Misses Paris Haute Couture Fall 2021
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HIT: Balenciaga
"I have always loved Demna Gvasalia's work and this collection is no exception... It tries to see couture in a different light, give it a sense of modernity that is so often missing from all the sugarcoated collections usually on display during couture week." [donyan]
"Finally — someone who lived up to the hype. His couture offering finally reestablishes why I was drawn to his Balenciaga, even his Vetements, in the beginning." [Phuel]
"The best looks of this collection are those that reference the archive of Cristóbal Balenciaga..." [JohannesL]
See all the looks from the Balenciaga collection.
Image: Courtesy
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MISS: Chanel
"I’d rather wear literal garbage than this garbage." [GERGIN]
"Where is the modernity? She had such a great opportunity to push Chanel... Chanel shows are no longer shows I look forward to, much like Dior, they just happen." [TonTon73]
"Virginie Viard definitely has an eye for the most unflattering proportions you could ever imagine. She should go to jail for that yellow abomination." [avonlea002]
See all the looks from the Chanel collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: Armani Privé
"Beautiful." [liberty33r1b]
"I've come to respect Giorgio Armani a great deal over recent years and this couture offering here is utterly sublime. A whole multitude of flawless looks that I couldn't possibly select a favorite. The color palette is heavenly and the fabrics are exquisite — everything one should expect from couture." [vogue28]
See all the looks from the Armani Privé collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Christian Dior
"I feel bad for the brand ambassadors that will be forced to wear this." [GivenchyHomme]
"What strikes me is that there's no fantasy, no sense of humor and no aspiration. All we can see here is a marketing exercise that went seriously wrong. The clothes are commercial in the most vulgar and offensive way." [perhydrol]
"You can see Maria Grazia Chiuri running out of ideas here..." [RedSmokeRise]
See all the looks from the Christian Dior collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: Schiaparelli
"Opulent, ostentatious and chic! All that haute couture should be." [WAVES]
"The collection is beautiful. It feels just right for the house of Schiaparelli. This offering is full of life, passion and wit." [perhydrol]
"I love it so much. It makes me excited about fashion and haute couture again. It’s so dramatic and glamorous with such heavy doses of passion." [Salvatore]
See all the looks from the Schiaparelli collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Iris van Herpen
"Alexander McQueen Plato's Atlantis prints in 3-D. That's all..." [jeanclaude]
"She needs to do something else. It's quite predictable at this point." [THD96]
"She is not exploiting her genius enough for me. She really should push and challenge herself more!" [Salvatore]
See all the looks from the Iris van Herpen collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: Viktor & Rolf
"I like it! The silhouettes look opulent in a good, graphic way." [perhydrol]
"Reminds me of many of Jun Takahashi's collections for Undercover that have been inspired by royalty, that to me is a good thing." [YohjiAddict]
See all the looks from the Viktor & Rolf collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Fendi
"Kim Jones is such a terrible designer that he has no idea about making those old silhouettes look fresh and modern. What is even worse is that those draping gowns are very cheap-looking." [JohannesL]
"Even great embroidery and fabrics won't hide how hideous these silhouettes are." [avonlea002]
"Kim Jones is the type that even with all the money, skilled atelier and corporate propaganda behind him, they can’t hide the basic mediocrity that he is. He’s so reliably bland." [Phuel]
See all the looks from the Fendi collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: Antonio Grimaldi
"Elegant collection, normally not into feathers, but there's a balance here." [Urban Stylin]
"The sinuous cutting with the feathers gives it a very dynamic, diaphanous feeling, not a revelation, but it's pretty and well-made." [YohjiAddict]
"For me he is coming for Stéphane Rolland’s clientele! And for some reason, I find it fresher, more wearable and more modern than what Rolland is doing." [Lola701]
See all the looks from the Antonio Grimaldi collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Jean Paul Gaultier
"I feel terribly underwhelmed by the production. It was too static for both JPG and Sacai. The clothes would have really benefited from the movement. Instead, we got a rather lifeless show." [perhydrol]
"Disappointing. Some outfits are downright hideous." [avonlea002]
"Just as I expected: deconstructed/reconstructed archival JPG pieces and Chitose Abe's obsession with bomber jackets here and there." [jeanclaude]
See all the looks from the Jean Paul Gaultier collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Giambattista Valli
"Excuse me...but there's a dress behind your ruffles!" [jeanclaude]
"Those are some of the ugliest ruffles I have ever seen." [GivenchyHomme]
"Big dresses, small ideas. Can he actually design anything that doesn't require yards and yards of fabric? Is he going after some kind of Guinness World Record? That candy cane dress is definitely one of the most hideous I've seen!" [YohjiAddict]
See all the looks from the Giambattista Valli collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Alexandre Vauthier
"I wish he would challenge himself a bit more..." [reese06]
"Does anyone know how big his clientele is? I genuinely wonder why someone would pay thousands for couture when you can get it cheaper at YSL or any vintage boutique." [avonlea002]
"I find it hard to see the clothes! The bad thing about this particular collection is how messy and uninspired it is." [Lola701]
See all the looks from the Alexandre Vauthier collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Azzaro
"Olivier Theyskens sweetie, WTF is that?" [avonlea002]
"I’m disappointed. I found the dresses to be more vulgar than provocative. They’re following the trend of barley-there red carpet dresses, which has already had its moment." [GivenchyHomme]
"Very disappointed! I am pretty sure he could have done much better! I have said many times: Please give him the Chanel or Dior job!" [JohannesL]
See all the looks from the Azzaro collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Ulyana Sergeenko
"Maria Grazia Chiuri and Sarah Burton had a baby." [TaylorBinque]
"This is just MGC's Christian Dior..." [RedSmokeRise]
"I hope she sends flashlights with the lookbook to her customers..." [jeanclaude]
See all the looks from the Ulyana Sergeenko collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Rahul Mishra
"A walking stash of fabrics." [jeanclaude]
"I'm a sucker for drama and theatrics in couture and I feel this checks all the boxes. But I can't seem to visualize where someone would wear a lot of these pieces. I feel that the inspiration has been taken too literally for a lot of the pieces..." [farshogar]
See all the looks from the Rahul Mishra collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Charles de Vilmorin
"Is he blind or that delusional? I would be embarrassed to show sh*t like this." [avonlea002]
"Very Project Runway, he wants to run when he hasn't even learned how to crawl..." [YohjiAddict]
"Disney villain meets rejected costumes from Lady Gaga's wardrobe..." [jeanclaude]
See all the looks from the Charles de Vilmorin collection.
Image: Courtesy
