Moore From L.A.: Paris Runways Lure a New Generation of Groupies Set on Self-expression
For better or worse, not a pandemic nor a war in Ukraine can stop fashion.
The runways roared back to life for fall 2022 with a new generation of groupies and designers restoring faith that people still care about the subject, at least. It was a relief after the season started with the thud of layoffs at InStyle piling on to two years of editorial cutbacks, and retail and brand bankruptcies that have reshaped the look of the industry and the front row.
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Still, the intensifying crisis in Ukraine and its accompanying destruction, displacement and death created an overwhelming sense of whiplash between designer-dressed celebs and influencers grinning in the front row and coverage of millions fleeing the country with only what they could carry.
Brands responded with donations, by halting their businesses in Russia, and by making statements on the runway, none more moving than Demna Gvasalia’s at Balenciaga, who has seen firsthand what war can bring.
But outside the shows, after two years of lockdown, people seemed to want to forget (or ignore) it all. Crowds swelled to an all-time high, demonstrating the kind of passion and excitement one would sooner expect to see at a Justin Bieber concert.
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“It started in Milan, where we saw 300 people outside a show and I said, ‘I wish we had this in Paris,’ Then we got to Paris and we did,” said public relations executive Lucien Pages.
Large fashion houses have gotten savvy about creating their own red carpet moments, designating celebrity ambassadors who fans can count on to show up.
No ticket? No problem. The show outside was just as good, maybe more so. There is even a @celebsinparis Twitter account, which posts when stars have landed in the city, what hotels they are staying at, and the times and locations of shows.
At Dior, they lined up and leaned over barricades circling the show tent in the Tuileries to see Blackpink’s Jisoo and catch a glimpse of Rihanna’s pregnant belly. At Valentino, Zendaya caused a sensation, stopping and posing for selfies as Valentino Garavani’s legendary right hand Giancarlo Giammetti slipped by unnoticed.
Social media influencers got as much reaction from young fans as their Hollywood counterparts.
French YouTuber and self-help author Léna Situations, dressed in a green Valentino minidress, spent close to 10 minutes signing autographs for fans chanting, “Lé-na, Lé-na!”
“It shows young people still love fashion and they want to be part of it, that’s why social media and networks are important because we can through Instagram and TikTok share what’s inside and try to open the doors a bit,” said the influencer, who has 3.6 million Instagram followers, of the scene.
Booth Moore/WWD
Not everyone was impressed.
“They are very pretty but not very stylish,” said street style photographer Scott Schulman, who has been photographing shows for 17 years, of the new influencer crowds. “If you come to the show, the brands want to dress you. The whole reason I started going was to see how people put together something great, but now it’s so packaged. I’ll probably start going to smaller shows, then you have people who can get in and they dress themselves.”
The other flavor of fan was the fashion groupie — dressed in a DIY silver bubblewrap jacket, or a pullover sweater with teddy bears hand sewn onto it. There was the woman in a yellow catsuit with winged eye makeup, face piercings and gold metal talons like something off a Eurovision song contest stage, and a plethora of coordinating couples in matching looks.
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“I love the cool kids hanging around not necessarily going to the show, their style is very natural and authentic, it’s fun to shoot,” said photographer Darrel Hunter, known as Modehunter. “It’s part of the TikTok and YouTube generation wanting to be seen and discovered.”
Outside Marine Serre on Friday night, gawkers and peacockers clogged Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, most with no expectation of getting into the show.
“It’s about making a statement. People are into streetwear photography, and they want to show up on different pages to increase their followers,” explained Carla Figueroa, a fashion student at Paris’ International Fashion Academy, who planned to hang out outside shows with friends all weekend.
Others were looking for tips — not on the runway, but off.
“We like to discover new ways to wear a top or pant,” said Elise Pietons, dressed in a Marine Serre dress with a Prada crystal Cleo bag, while her friend said she preferred thrifting.
Booth Moore/WWD
Outside Louis Vuitton at the Musée d’Orsay on Tuesday, one fan had handpainted her face with LV blossoms and monograms.
“I love Louis Vuitton and luxury mode,” said Constance Dallays, who also attended Dior and Valentino, adding that she was not interested in stars but style. “It’s amazing to see the looks.”
“They are not just fans of the celebrities but of the brands,” observed Modern Luxury fashion director James Aguiar of how people show their passion for the brands by putting their own interpretation on their look.
In some cases, it was more inspiring than the real thing. It’s no wonder that one of the biggest takeaways of the season was self-expression, which is a bit noncommittal coming from a fashion brand that is by nature supposed to stand for something.
Nevertheless, at Tory Burch, Emporio Armani, Louis Vuitton and Gucci (where Alessandro Michele has made it his metier), designers showed more pieces than a look, with the idea of giving women tools to create their own style.
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Another big takeaway was that streetwear, at least as a sneakers and hoodie category, was almost totally absent from the runways, save for the Givenchy show. But logos were still a go-go, with Prada’s triangle-logo tank tops, Gucci x Adidas tracksuiting and Balenciaga’s caution tape catsuit (as worn by Kim Kardashian) making lasting impressions.
The prevailing trends were power tailoring; the 1990s and Y2K; faux fur in every stripe; leather looks, and corsets, catsuits and revealing fetish wear, which judging from the body-confident fans outside the shows, women have no hangups about.
Rick Owens’ strong shoulder jackets over fishtail gowns, JW Anderson’s molded tops, and Miu Miu’s reprised low-rise mini and crop top sets were the most newsy silhouettes, but the majority of brands used their biggest in-person shows since the pandemic to reassert their DNA, whether that was Valentino’s couture-like sensibilities, or Dries Van Noten’s artful divadom.
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Throughout the season, discussion of sustainability was largely shunted to the background, save for those like Collina Strada, Marni, Stella McCartney, Gabriela Hearst and Marine Serre who have made it part of their brand DNA, and the beautiful upcycled collection from Marc Jacobs, whether driven by the lack of natural resources or financial resources.
Gender inclusivity was more evident on runways and in front rows, but size inclusivity was less so, especially in Paris, which is lagging behind the world in that respect.
Saint Laurent designer Anthony Vaccarello, in particular, continues to put forth a particularly unhealthily skinny-looking image of woman that for me at least, clouded an otherwise spectacular collection.
One exception to the lack of diversity in Paris was the emerging designer Ester Manas who, with her partner Balthazar Delepierre, has perfected a draping and ruching technique that made sexy cutout dresses fit and flatter all, and using 80 percent upcycled fabrics, too. In many ways, the name of the collection summed up the season, “Come As You Are.”
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