In review (Marie-Claire FW): Emblematic styles for the fall-winter 2023-2024 season
The season as seen by Corinne Denis
For Marie Claire Style, the creative director of trend consultancy Leherpeur Paris deciphers the emblematic styles that have emerged for Autumn-Winter 2023-2024.
After years shaped by sportswear, next season seems to bring a new form of elegance….
Absolutely. A great desire for elegance that is not stuffy or restricts movement, an elegance that is compatible with an urban lifestyle, that lets the body move. It goes hand in hand with the return of tailoring – the watchword of the Balenciaga collection – deeply rooted in craftsmanship and the fundamentals laid down by Cristobal Balenciaga. Also of the Loewe collection, which plays with simple volumes to let the right cut express itself.
The catwalks showcased minimalism at the service of materials, as if to re-emphasize the strength of luxury: beautiful fabrics, precise cuts, expert pattern-making and precise volumes. The crisis has obviously had an impact on consumers, who want to keep their clothes for a long time – and want them to be both qualitative and durable, two key elements of luxury. This explains the phenomenal success of The Row, whose ultra-elegant, timeless products sell out in record time.
What femininity is emerging?
We’re seeing the emergence of a “jolie madame” silhouette heavily influenced by the 1950s, as seen in the collections of Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior and Olivier Rousteing for Balmain, who have paid homage to the golden years of their respective houses. This is manifested in several ways, notably through layering and transparency play, but also with gloves as seen at Givenchy, Lanvin, and Ann Demeulemeester in a long-sleeve style. Another aspect of this retro wardrobe is the omnipresence of scarves tied around the neck, floral at Nina Ricci and Lanvin, oversized at Balmain, in a lavallière style at Sacai and Saint Laurent. Heels and even thigh-high boots, as shown on the Hermès runway, are back. Finally, the brooch is also making a comeback: emoji at Coperni, origami at Prada, in a large loop to fasten a stole at Saint Laurent, or accentuating skirt folds at Proenza Schouler. It’s a subtly Amazonian femininity that plays with the codes of sexiness.
In general, we’ve seen the return of a more formal look…
This is reflected in the choice of colors. A return to a graphic palette of essential blacks and mottled grays, enhanced by lemon yellows at Marni and Ferragamo, subtle pastels at Prada, and an apricot beige that reflects the revival of neutral hues.
What did the staging reveal?
Sobriety. Loewe had a white box, Coperni gave us stripped-down decor serving the futuristic dimension with the presence of Boston Dynamics robots. Following the Saint Laurent show in Marrakech and the Jacquemus show in the salt quarries in the south of France, a number of criticisms were leveled at the budgets of these productions, at a time when the government was advocating a certain sobriety in energy consumption.
Interview by Vicky Chahine