Pomp And Splendour At Paris Fashion Week AW17

AW17 was perhaps one of the most theatrical collections of Paris shows to date, evoking the ceremony and spectacle of a monarchical age. A concoction of colour, texture, flair and romance was splashed across monumental sets, transforming the humble catwalk into a place of fantasy and escape. We’ve put together a collection of some of the most majestic trends and catwalks from Paris AW17.

The shows

There was plenty to captivate during the AW17 shows this year, even without the clothes. Chanel launched rockets; Louis Vuitton took over the Louvre and Miu Miu covered their venue in lilac faux fur. In a way, such theatricality is necessary after a month of shows; it commands knackered editors to pay attention during the final stretch.
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The clothes: what are the AW17 trends from Paris to pay attention to?

Wildly impractical

If Milan was about creating the most extreme hybrid of looks and styles, Paris was all about giving consumers clothes they can’t really wear. Fashion is art after all, non? At Comme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo presented the future of the female form as a blob-like cartoon in a grey wire wig; a surprisingly regal combination, though not one we’d recommend for selfies at the Eiffel Tower. Miu Miu’s oversized furry hats were car crash couture at its most fabulous and Givenchy’s collection of scarlet and vermilion outfits married a futuristic aesthetic with ample romance. At Esteban Cortazar, belted oversized jackets were walked with fur-rimmed kitten heels and patterned coats with gigantic white fur cuffs and lapels.

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Clashing prints (and a tartan comeback)

As seen at Milan, more was more at Paris too: Moncler Gamme Rouge combined baroque prints and cropped pink tweeds, Esteban Cortazar mixed turquoise tartans and paisley prints and at Junya Watanabe it was tartan and leopard print. At Fenty X Puma, super short tartan skirts were paired with oversized navy puffer jackets and patchwork trousers were styled with cropped jersey logo tees while at Sacai it was all about lace, gingham and coloured furs. At McQueen, concisely woven tapestries and delicate embroidery created a wonderfully textured collection.

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Supersize earrings

Worn as a singular embellishment on models’ ears at YSL, statement earrings are definitely back. At Miu Miu, resplendent hoops finished eccentric outfits and at Andrew Gn, decadent earrings in silver and gold took centre stage.

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Ugly boots (again)

If last season put ugly shoes at the fore of the contemporary lexicon, this season looked to revere the mighty power of ugly footwear more than ever. At YSL, baggy metallic boots merged the aesthetics of disco and 90s technology; at Balenciaga, tights were worn over the top of shoes to offer an entirely new vision.

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About the author

India Doyle

A contributor to titles including Vogue, the Guardian, KEIN, Rollacoaster, Wonderland and Twin magazine, India Doyle joined Culture Trip to help launch their fashion section for the EMEA region, where she focussed on giving emerging designers across the globe a platform to reach international audiences. Now based between London and Greece, she is one of Culture Trip's Greek contributors and covers cultural life in Athens.