The true founder of haute couture has finally arrived.
We are currently nearing the end of Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer (PFW SS25), a week-long event from September 23rd to October 1, 2024. Hailed as one of the “Big Four” fashion weeks—New York, London, Milan, and Paris—PFW is known for its undeniable style, incredible designers, and its presentation of haute couture and ready-to-wear collections. Paris is often regarded as the fashion capital of the world, and PFW stands as the city’s crowning jewel, drawing in a plethora of fashion designers, models, and enthusiasts from around the world each year.
Officially titled Semaine des Créateurs de Mode, Paris Fashion Week made its initial debut in 1973 as the first organized fashion week in the industry. The history of Parisian high fashion, however, extends still further back. In the 1920s and 30s, big names such as Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Madeleine Vionnet had already established themselves, and fashion houses would host intimate, invite-only shows to exhibit their collections.
The way fashion was displayed changed after World War II. In 1945, all the couture houses were required to present 35 day and night pieces for both a Spring/Summer collection and an Autumn/Winter collection. This was put into effect by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Notably, the collection “Corolle” by Christian Dior in 1947 marked the true turning point in Paris high fashion. Dior’s emphasis on femininity in the form of small waists and big skirts would go on to influence the whole of the fashion industry, including Yves Saint Laurent who emerged in the 1960s as another one of Paris’s globally recognized designers.
The first Paris Fashion Week in 1973 emerged with a bang. Titled the Battle of Versailles, it pitted five of the biggest French designer names against five relatively unknown (at the time) American counterparts. The line-up was Christian Dior (designed by Marc Bohan), Yves Saint Laurent, Emanuel Ungaro, Pierre Cardin, and Hubert de Givenchy versus Oscar de la Renta, Anne Klein, Halston, Stephen Burrows, and Bill Blass, respectively. The show was filled with theatrics and avant-garde designs, and it set the tone for future fashion weeks.
PFW today continues to impress with its Parisian dramatics. Now organized by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, both the September edition and the March edition have over 100 shows all over the city, with notable venues in the Carrousel du Louvre and the Grand Palais where Karl Lagerfeld used to present his iconic Chanel shows.
This past week, onlookers have been able to experience fierce bodysuits and fringed skirts from Dior, new Christian Louboutins modeled by the French Olympic artistic swimming team, and intense metallic accents from both Alexander McQueen and Rabanne. Alessandro Michele, the new creative director at Valentino, made his grand return to the runway after leaving Gucci in 2022, and Jonathan Anderson at Loewe was a highlight this week with his theme of meditation, radical reduction, and emphasis on silhouette.
~ Moya Stringer `25
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