My Favorite Shows From Paris Fashion Week

The crown jewel of all fashion weeks just wrapped up a few days ago, which also concludes Fashion Month as a whole! It’s been so fun following the shows every week as we traveled from the U.S. to Europe and I’m already excited for the next round of shows that will kick off in September! I feel like they always save the best for last in Paris, and this roundup of shows did not disappoint! The one I was most looking forward to was hands-down Chanel - their shows always deliver the best amounts of drama, elegance, and excitement - and their Fall 2022 show definitely was on par with that, but not in the traditional sense that I was expecting.

Chanel

From the moment the first look walked down the runway - an oversized, pink tweed coat - the mood was instantly set and you could tell that tweed was going to be the main theme throughout the collection. Which is perfect since in my eyes it’s the quintessential fall fabric! Chanel and chic have always been synonymous, but what felt so unexpected was the more relaxed vibe of the collection. We saw more oversized and unstructured jackets paired with rubber boots that were monogrammed with the famous interlocking double Cs. Creative Director, Virginie Viard, was inspired by old photos of Gabrielle Chanel with her lover, the Duke of Westminster, taken at his country house in England. She wore his borrowed clothing and rubber boots and the essence of that could be seen throughout the show. In Viard’s press statement she said, “There’s nothing sexier than wearing the clothes of the person you love. I’m fascinated by this ever-contemporary gesture.” If any brand could truly define “cozy chic” it would be Chanel! The knit stockings that were paired with almost every outfit gave a “cozy at home” vibe, but then paired with the gorgeous tweed jackets and skirts it took on more of a polished look. I loved seeing the juxtaposition of colors and how they all worked together, like blush pink and teal or hot pink and purple. The key takeaway of the show that really stuck with me was to not be afraid of pattern play and experimenting with different textures. I thought the entire collection was so beautiful and cohesive; there truly is no designer like Chanel!

Valentino

WOW - where do I even begin?! Watching this show was like stepping into Barbie’s dream closet! Seeing the massive hot pink runway/stage I wasn’t expecting the garments to literally match the exact shade, but it created such a bold effect that you couldn’t take your eyes off of. Being pink obsessed myself this collection was right up my alley! The first thing I noticed as a consistent theme with all of the looks (besides the pink) was the sky high platform shoes! Those will be a major trend for fall and I was so into the patent leather platform pumps (say that 3 times fast) that continued to come down the runway. I would so love to get my hands on a pair of those 😍 The pink continued for 40 looks and I was so glad to see some black strut down the runway towards the last bit of the show to give my eyes a bit of a break! The key trends that I saw throughout the other runway shows of fashion month rang true for Valentino as well: oversized suiting, feather details, and statement shoulders. As much as I love pink I probably wouldn’t dress in the same hue head-to-toe like this, but I absolutely was head over heels for it on the runway! It made such a statement and has left a lasting impact on me. I can’t wait to see this color appear in boutiques and stores later this year!

Stella McCartney

When I managed the women’s designer apparel department at Nordstrom in Austin, we were lucky to carry Stella McCartney’s ready-to-wear, handbag, and shoe collections and I learned so much about her sustainable approach to fashion design. She is a life-long vegetarian and doesn’t use any fur or leather in her designs (which is amazing!) and I’m always so impressed with her attention to detail with everything she creates. For this collection in particular, I was really wowed by the use of lines and movement in almost all of her looks. There were several outfits that used diagonal lines to create visual interest, while others used beautiful drapery to create fluid movement. I can already tell that lavender is going to be a big color for the fall season as it was featured in several looks not just from Stella but plenty of other designers who presented during PFW. My favorite look was the striped sweater and skirt combo done in a gorgeous color block pattern with lavender and camel hues - it’s the perfect combo of color and neutrals!

I feel like I’ve said this at the end of every fashion week post I’ve done for the last 4 weeks, but I’m already wishing it was fall! And I won’t lie, I’m a bit sad this series is ending, but I’m so excited to start it back up again in September. What was your favorite show from fashion month? It’s so hard to choose myself, but my standout shows were definitely Fendi, Carolina Herrera, and Valentino…AND Chanel! I couldn’t leave that one out 😉👏🏻✨ Thank you for checking out my fashion week recap series! xo