Though it was squeezed onto the end of Men’s Fashion Week due to the incoming takeover of Paris by the Summer Olympics, the Fall 2024 Couture season offered – as couture is wont to do – a radically different perspective on fashion than the steady style and cultural consciousness of menswear. From classically ornate opulence to avant-garde experiments, it was another beautiful showcase of the magic of the ateliers, rife with breathtaking moments.
Leveraging virtuosic technique to reshape the language of couture and how it responds to the body, Viktor & Rolf offered a playful yet thought-provoking statement on embracing the absurd and reclaiming individuality.
Balenciaga’s couture show took shape as a continued evolution of Demna’s signature practice of deploying craft innovation to twist humble and familiar garments into haute masterpieces. Though it might not always be obvious how, the collection always had the master Crístobal himself in mind, whether it was ballgowns or T-shirts.
Thom Browne’s cleverly self-referential collection transformed the piecemeal process of couture and suitmaking into finished masterpieces of muslin and more.
Schiaparelli comes out on top with Daniel Roseberry’s collection that, prompted by a necessary change of venue due to the impending Olympics, took a more subdued and shadowy direction – but still had all the drama and daring we’ve come to expect and love from the house.
Here are The Impression’s picks for the Top 10 runway shows from Paris’ Fall 2024 Couture season as selected by our editor-in-chief, Kenneth Richard.
1 – Schiaparelli
2 – Thom Browne
3 – Christian Dior
4 – Balenciaga
5 – Stephane Rolland
6 – Jean Paul Gaultier
7 – Viktor & Rolf
8 – Ashi
9 – De Pino
10 – Chanel
