Paris Autumn / Winter 2021 Fashion Week: Dawn Is Coming

Recently, vogue interviewed 38 former fashion show regulars - photographers, media reporters, stylists, designers and brand founders - to investigate what they miss most since the epidemic cancelled the physical show. And their answers are all about people. Sofia achaval and Lucila Sperber, CO founders of à Cheval, said: "emotional resonance occurs when you sense other people's reactions to fashion. The magic is beyond words, you can feel the energy and connection between each other. It's an experience that can't be replaced by the number of hits or reviews. " For the fashion industry, it seems that it has been too long since the last feeling of emotional resonance.

This spring, with the fall and winter fashion week in Paris on March 10, the four major fashion weeks of 2021 have quietly announced to the public that it has come to an end. Due to the continuous impact of the epidemic, 93 brands participated in the Paris fashion week, among which digital release is still the first choice of major brands. Although we can't see the past lively and topic degree again, the brand's optimism and hope for the future is still transmitted to the audience through a group of innovative fashion power through the screen.

There are 93 brands participating in this Paris fashion week, and digital publishing is still the first choice of major brands. Materials and pictures

Nostalgia and comfort, the refuge of spirit

When people know nothing about "what will happen tomorrow", the past years can give them the greatest sense of security. For this season's Paris fashion week, looking back on the golden age and exploring the essence of fashion has become the theme for many brands to reflect on in the post epidemic era.

On March 10, Louis Vuitton released 44 autumn / winter 2021 women's wear styles at the Louvre in Paris. The show is the first time LV has held without a live audience. Although it is in the form of video, Nicolas ghesqui è redeyi, the creative director of LV women's wear, still insists on shooting traditional t-shows rather than narrative films, striving to restore the ritual sense of fashion week. At the same time that there is a ban on visitors to the Louvre, Lv's choice of show venue has been upgraded to a more private place in the Palace - Michelangelo and Daru hall, which displays a large number of Greek, Etruscan and Roman sculptures. The space is small and rarely holds exhibitions on weekdays, but it is caught in the eye of Nicolas. "I think I can do something special here," he told the guardian. "I want something that can shock people watching videos at home." As a result, under the background of the T-stage, which is the contrast between the contemporary fashion and the ancient sculpture, the models filed out. This season, Nicolas draws on more than 10000 pieces of works by Italian decorative art master Piero Fornasetti, combining jacquard, embroidery, high-tech thermal imaging technology, etc., to print the artist's classical sculpture patterns on customized clothing such as knitwear, wool Hoodie and handbags. The rich color and texture in Piero's works echo with the exaggerated silhouette of the 1920s unique to Lv's new season fashion, which adds a lot of historical imagination elements to the modern style design, just like an art journey across time and space.

An attentive audience may notice that a lemon light yellow hoodie with a haze Blue Sheer tulle skirt started the LV show. In the past year, casual wear has become the new normal in the fashion industry, and the emergence of sportswear in high-end ready-made clothes has changed from avant-garde to over saturated. In response, Nicolas, who has brought casual wear elements such as sports shoes, high-tech fabrics and fluorescent colors on the catwalk, said: "if there is any new trend in the new year, comfort will be one. Although comfort has nothing to do with fashion aesthetics, I want to design clothes that are soft, comfortable and decorative. Fashion has always been regarded as "armor". But now that we've put on masks in real life, the function of fashion should change - more about comfort and security. "

Different from the previous years when he was in the Grand Palace of Paris, Virginia Viard, the creative director of Chanel, who also released the new series through online video, took the models to the deserted streets of Paris, and marched down the roads and the spiral stairs, bar tables, cloakrooms of Castel club Virginie said that the models of the early fashion shows had their own dressing and make-up, so the video also reproduced the precious pictures of the models making up in the club backstage in black and white. As soon as the camera turns, the screen changes from black and white to color, and the models in the new series step onto the T-stage in turn. This season's inspiration comes from Virginia Viard's imagination of skiing holidays and the inheritance of the "cool" fashion of Paris since 1970. The designs of fluffy black fur boots, sassy long windbreaker, simple and loose suit, work suit and wind skiing suit are comfortable and practical, but also elegant. Roopal Patel, senior vice president of Saks Fifth Avenue, told WWD that Virginia Viard wanted to create a modern way of life for modern Chanel women through a super cool, fashionable and multifunctional series. At the end of the video, the models walk out of the club together and disappear into the camera with fearless laughter.

Fairy tales and fun, exciting power

Laughter can stimulate the brain to release a kind of calming chemical substances, thus eliminating tension and reducing people's sense of social bondage. As the global anti epidemic enters the second half, fashion brands seem to realize that happiness can bring exciting and powerful energy. More and more relaxed and interesting creative ideas are quietly pouring into this Paris fashion week.

Fairy tales are an essential childhood companion for everyone to grow up with, and Thom Browne's new series this season also chooses to start with a fairy tale about fashion, the wizard of oz. With the black-and-white animation that seems to come from the beginning of Hollywood blockbuster classics of the last century, a girl lies in an empty house and falls asleep. In her dream, she was wearing a black tuxedo and a golden down jacket. She led two animated figures to walk on the snow. She took a helicopter to the top of the mountain, and then ski down from the top of the mountain. When the girl wakes up and opens her eyes, she finds that everything around her has not changed, except a pair of golden boots on her feet. The end of the story is very intriguing.

This season's fashion is dominated by black and white, full of dramatic design and sportswear details, combining Thom Browne's iconic modern tailoring and haute couture production techniques. Thick twill knitted sweater, fluffy coat, drawstring details, snow proof gloves, wind and tear resistant lining and suit blend together to meet the needs of winter pragmatism. Last year, Thom invited fencer race imboden and track and field sprinter Kendall Baisden to shoot spring and summer 2021 fashion films for him. This year, following the concept of the 2132 Olympic Games on the moon, Lindsey Vonn, a retired Olympic skier after the 2018 Winter Olympics, was recruited to play the little girl in the short film. "My idea is very simple. I want to create a suit for extreme skiers." "I love working with athletes who are the most inspiring people for me," Thom says

"Loewe exhibition has been cancelled." On the day when the Loewe fashion show was scheduled to be launched, a paper supplement with the news headline was attached to the newspapers of France's Figaro and Le Monde, Spain's Le Monde, the British times, the New York Times of the United States and Asahi Shimbun of Japan. Continuing the concept of "when people can't come to the show, they will send the show to the audience". When major brands choose to transform the show to digital, Jonathan Anderson, the creative director of Loewe, condensed all the fashion styles of the new season into a newspaper, emphasizing the physical texture and emotional connection with people. This season's modeling also emphasizes the clothing as a kind of self-expression. Through the simple and abstract silhouette, bold bright yellow and large print combination, it shows the positive expectation of fearless forward.

Entity? Numbers? Looking forward to seeing you next time

It may be easy for those who have carefully read this year's fashion Sunday schedule that some famous brands we are familiar with have quietly "dropped out of group chat" at this fashion week. They choose to take the epidemic situation as an opportunity to reevaluate when and how brands should display their own fashion. Take the fall and winter fashion week in Paris as an example, Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent and Balencia were absent, but at the same time, it also gave many emerging international brands the opportunity to appear. For example, Kenneth ize, the winner of the LVMH award final, and his South African brand, Thebe Magugu, have been recognized by many famous big V fans, including supermodel Naomi Campbell, by redefining African luxury goods.

How long the night will last may not be known, but how to resist it is up to humanity. Ralph Toledano, President of the Federation of haute couture and fashion, the host country of Paris fashion week, told CNN style that at this stage it is crucial to help the emerging talent upgrade. Therefore, they have set up funds to help young brands survive this challenging period. For example, the Federation provides assistance in video production, financial consultation and communication platform to help talented young brands take root in Paris. Although it seems that digitization is still the only viable solution, Ralph does not forget to express his expectation of returning to the physics show. "Our world needs creativity and imagination more than ever, and they can't always be digital," he said. We earnestly hope that the next fashion week will be welcomed in Paris to participate in activities and guests. Feelings and senses need the stimulation of the real world and live performances. "