Couture designers use their craft to push the boundaries of bodily reality
Themes of the theatrical, mystical, and ethereal were on couture designers’ minds during the Spring 2023 season as they leveraged their craft know-how at the highest level of fashion construction to create looks that extended and transformed the vision of the body. From trompe-l’oeil moments like that of Viktor & Rolf that literally turned dressmaking on its head or Schiaparelli’s almost too-convincing faux taxidermy, to the sense of motion created by Gaurav Gupta’s swirling and sculptural use of fabric or Robert Wun’s transformation of objects both within and outside of the world of fashion, the runways of Paris were awash with otherworldly creations.
