The Trends Of Paris Fashion Week Were A Marriage Of Beauty And Function

Paris Fashion Week is always the apex of fashion month, with its next-level street style, unparalleled lineup of runway shows, and celebrity-packed front rows. And while international travel limitations may have resulted in some of its usual crowd being forced to watch from home, for the most part, COVID-19 didn’t hinder fashion from taking over the French capital this week with trends just as standout as years past. 

At Rick Owens, Marine Serre, Rokh, Maison Margiela, and more, the bleakness of the last seven months was transformed into something beautiful. Big shoulders, face coverings, and gothic colours, silhouettes, and backgrounds made for fashion that was an escape. Not an escape from reality (after all, our reality is pretty dark right now), but rather, an escape from the faux normalcy that so many designers have been pushing for this season. 

On a lighter note, lockdown trends continued to show face, just as they did in New York, London, and Milan. Oversized, slouchy silhouettes were prevalent at The Row, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, and Schiaparelli, as were deconstructed pieces — found at Christopher Esber, Ellery, Coperni, and more — which had us pulling out our scissors and sewing machines mid-virtual show to break apart one piece and transform it into another. Shoulders were big and bulky at Louis Vuitton, Isabel Marant, and Givenchy — a sign that designers, too, want to keep people six feet apart at all times. (The shoulders could also be a symbol of power and confidence, as they were for women following the Great Depression in the ‘30s.) 

The week’s shows also acted as a reminder that fashion can still be fun and whimsical, despite everything going on in the world. At Miu Miu, Miuccia Prada presented micro-minis paired with sporty zip-ups, all of which were brightly coloured and youthful. Midriffs were out to play at Coperni, Chanel, and Christopher Esber. 

Click ahead for our favourite trends from Paris Fashion Week.