Published
October 6, 2024
The last four weeks were definitely not a classic fashion show season. Too much concern for the end result and too much fear for the future and too many designers playing it safe.
Fashion moments were few and far between. That said, he had his bursts of glory; more particularly Willy Chavarria's anthem to BIPOC culture; Erdem's visual poem about Radclyffe Hall; The historic combination of Francesco Risso in the hyper-experimental show of Marni and Demna at their grandmother's table. Here's our pick of the best of the best: Deeny's Dozen for Spring/Summer 2025.
Willy Chavarria
Surely the most current designer in New York today is Willy Chavarría. Her excellent collection and mega show on Wall Street titled 'America', with its theme of the emergence and recognition of BIPOC culture, was a key political and fashion statement. Garments that have more influence every day.
Alaïa
An A+ for this hyper-clear vision by Pieter Mulier in Alaïa. He fully justified being allowed to stage the first fashion show at the Guggenheim Museum, with tough but poetic clothes, of which Azzedine would have been proud.
JW Anderson
The most popular designer in London and Paris. Anderson's trompe l'oeil and show used just four fabrics (leather, cashmere, silk and sequins) for “uncompromising” looks: puffed dresses, hypermodernist tutus, and revamped Tudor courtiers. Easily the most original show in the UK.
Erdem
The latest from Erdem Moralioglu between two wars The inspiration was Radclyffe Hall, the brilliant but melancholic gay icon and writer. The push and pull between the masculine and the feminine: dresses recovered from the 1920s, opened and then converted into screen prints, then used as embroidery on flat pieces of linen. Low-waisted shapes from the 1930s, for a straight, loose silhouette, in reference to Una, Hall's very feminine companion. Semi-transparent silk negligee dresses, embroidered with chains and crystals, through which black bras could be seen. Absolutely charming.
marni
Easily the only truly innovative collection in Milan, where Renaissance ladies and Venetian courtesans met modern clubbers in clothes made almost entirely of cotton. Models walking in all directions, before a serial sonata by Dev Hynes, almost hallucinatory. Thanks Francesco Risso.
Prada
A visual fashion debate on the possible influences of AI and a modified greatest hits show by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. There's no single overall trend, but what a great outfit.
dior
Most of those present clearly weren't too enamored with this collection of active sports from Diane Chasseresse: from the gym to the pool, from judo to the bar. But in an era where fitness has never been more important for women, it felt very prescient, influential and now, although it could be Maria Grazia's last in the house.
Loewe
In terms of silhouette, nothing rivaled Loewe; from the wobbly modern crinolines held up by very fine wires to the pants gathered at the hips. While the remarkable feather covers, sourced from Maison Févier, and topped with prints by great composers, were quite sensational. A designer at the top of his game.
balenciaga
A truly epic display, in which the cast walks across a 70-meter-long table, invoking Demna's memories of her first “shows” as a pre-teen at her grandmother's mahogany dining room table. Subversive chic; truncated cocoon jackets; jeans with anatomical darts; and superhero coats topped with corset-style collars worthy of the Medici. 'Gimme More' sang Britney Spears on the soundtrack and we couldn't agree more.
Celine
Technically, this was just a video of a “show.” But it was a collection ten times better than many others in an international season of more than 300 shows. Filmed at Compiègne Castle and featuring Hedi's elegant silhouette, cheerful boleros in glazed lambskin; elegant suede riding jackets; or tank tops with divine rhinestones. Plus, an absolutely perfect houndstooth tweed suit that Mademoiselle Gabrielle Chanel loved. Probably the next stop in his brilliant career, now that he has left Celine.
McQueen
Last season, new guy Sean McGirr didn't hit a home run in his debut for McQueen. This season, their Banshee-inspired collection definitely did that. Their boldly gorgeous tailoring, 15-inch collars; The tuxedos with piqué collars and belted necklines earned him the biggest applause of the Parisian season. while their tulle dresses; The silver mesh dresses and dazzling crystal-clad Banshee final look proved that this Irishman has the design skills to be a worthy successor to his fellow Celtic, Alexander McQueen.
Valentino
The Golden Age of Valentino at the Sala Bianca in Florence, married to the maximalist madness of Alessandro Michele, in the biggest hit in Paris. Tuxedo dress with allied ruffles; Dressed in ruffles and ruching, daring jacquard jackets (eccentric dandyism sported by a cast dressed in snow-white stockings or sinful red stockings), satin bows around their ankles, and heads topped with skullcaps, turbans, or enormous lip rings . Less than two years after his summary dismissal at Gucci, Michele is back with a bang.
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