After 9 days full of shows, events and presentations, last night the Paris Fashion Week came to an end. Paris continues to be the best showcase of the most talented designers and of the most interesting collections, in their great variety. What characterises Paris Fashion Week is, in fact, the balance between names of historic fashion houses, able every season to renovate and impress, like Louis Vuitton, Celine, Dior and Valentino, and relatively young and emerging designers, first and foremost the enfant prodige Jacquemus as well as Marine Serre. Elegant, polished, at times bold, definitely playful: the Paris fashion is a mix of different inspirations, resulting in a contemporary, unique and can't-miss proposal.
As is tradition, the time has come to give out our nss Fashion Awards to the shows that made us fall in love during this PFW.
Best Show: Saint Laurent
Anthony Vaccarello is the designer that has proved more than anyone else to be able to build the best dialogue possible with such a rich heritage like the one of Yves Saint Laurent. This season, though, the Belgian designer took it to the next level, bringing on the catwalk a confident, strong, brave and bold woman, that at times hides behind sartorial black suits, always featuring a revealing cleavage, while other times she opts for short shorts showing super long legs. Since the first outfits, the shoulders of the jackets, coats and dresses are the elements that stand out, Vaccarello spent 6 months looking for the right proportions, extend two centimetres beyond the shoulder seams. A lot of blacks and a lot of leather, with the unexpected finale with the looks glowing in the dark. Saint Laurent created a fashion show worth of this name.
Best Supporting Actor: Alexander McQueen
Maybe unexpectedly, at the second step of the podium, we find Alexander McQueen. The FW19 collection, created by
Sarah Burton, one of the most gifted designers around, is the result of a mix of different inspirations, that coexist perfectly on the catwalk: timeless tailoring with checkered and striped patterns, ultra-feminine dresses, jackets with wool drapes, dresses for a contemporary warrior, fabrics sculpted to resemble enormous roses, contrasting with more punk details and accessories. The manipulation of the fabrics, as well as the quality of them, is absolutely remarkable, Burton picked them from the factories located in the North of England, where she grew up. The woman of Alexander McQueen is a romantic warrior with a British soul, ready to get out there with her boots, leather trench and feminine dresses.
Best Revelation: Off-White
Revelation is probably not the best word to define
Virgil Abloh, the American designer besides creating the collections for Off-White, is after all the creative director of Louis Vuitton. The revelation of this year, though, was the FW19 proposal Abloh took on the catwalk. No collaborations with Nike, no sportswear, no exaggerated logos or patterns: Abloh gave life to a strong, confident woman, who prefers more elegant pants, oversized denim, tight dresses. The woman of Off-White has finally grown up, aware of her possibilities and of her forms.
Best Accessories: Jacquemus
Even before the beginning of the PFW, the invitation to the Jacquemus show had already become viral on Instagram. The
ultra mini Le Chiquito bag, so small that it can't fit anything, but in premium leather and different colourways, the same present also on the catwalk, along with waist-bags made of four different bags, maxi straw bags, leather accessories to be worn on the waist and bandana-earrings.
Best Location: Chanel
The Maison that has been the home of
Karl Lagerfeld for decades has bid goodbye to the late designer in an impressive location, as it is custom chez Chanel. Within the Grand Palais in Paris was built a real
mountain village, with wooden chalets, background with snow-covered peaks, paths and trees covered in snow, and skis leaning against the balconies of the houses. The final goodbye to Lagerfeld was heartfelt but not excessive, Kaiser Karl's historic muses, including Stella Tennant and Mariacarla Boscono, both in tears, walked on the runway before Penelope Cruz, while Virginie Viard, the newly appointed creative director, did not come out for the final bow.
Best Special Effects: Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya
More than a fashion show, the presentation of the Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya collection was a real party. '70s vibes, black and curvy pride, and the surprise appearance of the legendary
Grace Jones, who walked and danced on the runway wearing an iridescent blazer, a high cut bodysuit and over-the-knee boots.
Best Front Row: Louis Vuitton
For the Louis Vuitton show, Hollywood basically flew to Paris. In the front row were sitting the known faces of the Maison, with the likes of
Emma Stone,
Alicia Vikander,
Lea Seydoux, Jennifer Connelly, Willow Smith, along with Sienna Miller, Mark Ronson, Justin Theroux and Catherine Deneuve.
