This year’s Paris Fashion Week was one for the books. With coronavirus-panic underway, a simple and stoic greeting of “Hi, were you in Milan?” replaced the usual greeting of cheek-to-cheek kissing.
But in honour of all the incredible artistry and beautiful fashion moments, let’s relive together some of this season’s highlights in this (slightly biased) review of the best of Paris Fashion Week F/W 2020.
Best Casting
Let’s start with the most fundamental change of the season: casting. Runways were refreshingly diverse in terms of age, size, and ethnicity. From Chloé having beautiful female creatives walk alongside supermodels, to Chanel casting 26-year-old Dutch stunner Jill Kortleve, (undeniably this fashion week’s breakout star and the brand’s first curvy model in 10 years), change is underway.
Alexander McQueen
Nora Attal, Amber Valletta, Jill Kortleve, Agi Akur, Paloma Elsesser
A wide array of women were represented. Sarah Burton takes the prize on this one, with supermodel veterans Amber Valletta, Kirsty Hume, Malgosia Bela, curvy supermodels Paloma Elsesser, and Jill Kortleve all walking the show as well as Sudanese model Agi Akur and Moroccan model Nora Attal.
Miu Miu
16-year-old Euphoria actress Storm Reid opened the show (where Rita Ora also walked alongside Pixie Geldof) and the runway was refreshingly inclusive with numerous sizes and ethnicities accounted for.
Best Statement Pieces
Every fashion week comes with a number of hero pieces, the ones you will see on red-carpets and streetstyles around the world. Here is a selection of the most talked about pieces.
Chanel, Miu Miu, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior
Best Set Design
Chanel has long been a pioneer of mega shows, but this season Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton took the cake.
Balenciaga
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9MJAfUpzmc/
Demna Gvasalia presented a water-filled staged with an apocalyptic projection of the sky. Dramatic and relevant.
Louis Vuitton
A human tableau was unveiled during the first few seconds of the show. 200 choir singers dressed in historical garb performed while glaring at models walking down the huge catwalk. The past was looking to the future.
Best Front Row
This season, brands invited the Gen-Z new guard as well as your usual Hollywood and music powerhouses.
Chloé
Katie Holmes, Marianne Faithfull alongside Lucy Boynton, Kate Bosworth
Whoever brings iconic singer Marianne Faithfull to their frow automatically wins in my book. Add to this the co-sign of none other than Nicolas Ghesquière, who watched the show from the front row, and Hollywood actresses Lucy Boynton, Katie Holmes, and Kate Bosworth.
Saint Laurent
Lenny and Zoë Kravitz, Hailey Bieber, Rami Malek, Kit Harington
In this slightly biased ranking system any brand that invites Lenny Karvitz, Jon Snow Kit Harington, and Rami Malek is also a winner. Hailey Bieber, and Korean superstar Rosé from Blackpink were also in attendance.
Best Accessories
Christian Dior, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Chanel
This year accessories are baroque and loud. It’s all about getting that red pair of sunglasses, the sculptural metal earrings and that bag that makes the outfit. Special shout out to the double C Chanel tights.
Best Make-Up
Saint Laurent, Valentino, Christian Dior
Think smudged dark eyeliner. No crazy glitter, this year black is back.
