Paris fashion week autumn/winter 2023: the highlights — in pictures

Sparkly pants, painterly prints and err pears, here are the highlights from Paris fashion week

Main image: Chanel AW23 Photograph: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images

Thu 9 Mar 2023 11.00 EST Last modified on Thu 28 Sep 2023 08.08 EDT

  • Miu Miu

    Who wears the trousers? Not the Miu Miu woman next season. She’s so busy she forgot to put her skirt on – or maybe she left it off on purpose to show off her disco pants. The perfectly imperfect vibe of messy hair, tights pulled up over tops, coats over gym leggings, looks with elements missing and back-to-front bags with door keys dangling, suggested a frantic life most people can relate to. Miu Miu has reestablished itself as a bellwether for hot trends so you might want to think about those sequin knickers and stock up on sheer tights.

  • Loewe

    Jonathan Anderson built on the reductionist act he presented in January’s menswear to streamline this season’s women’s collection, putting the focus on individual garments. Dresses came as prints on simple silk shifts. The trompe-l’oeil tricks continued, a bag chain held up a drape on a silk dress, and Puzzle totes were supersized. To underscore the synergy between Loewe and art an installation of 21 cubes of colourful confetti by artist Lara Favaretto formed the set.

  • Vivienne Westwood

    After Vivienne Westwood’s death in December and a moving memorial at the start of LFW, the Paris show was always going to be an emotional affair. Titled Tintwistle after the town she grew up in, the AW23 collection was a tribute to her and riffed on many of her greatest hits – pirate boots, towering platforms, corsets and tartan. Past muses and family took to the runway including models Sara Stockbridge and Westwood’s granddaughter Cora Corré who wore the bridal finale look. Westwood’s widower Andrea Kronthaler was visibility emotional as he took his bow alongside Corré.

  • The Row

    First let’s talk about the show’s catering, an insight into the exquisitely minimal world of the Olsens. They gave us pears with the tip of the stalk dipped in red sealing wax and hunks of dark chocolate served on raw edge white linen napkins. Chic entertaining tricks to steal. Back to the fashion, which was heavy on suiting and luxe outerwear in a muted palette of black, ivory, navy and khaki. There was one splash of red (like the pear wax) via a cashmere coat, clutched closed, with matching red leather opera gloves.

  • Givenchy

    Givenchy went grown up and glamorous, falling in line with January’s menswear collection that utilised the haute couture atelier for sharply tailored looks that opened the show. The focus here was on a strong shoulder, nipped waist and magnified volume in coats and blazers. Eveningwear was refined and elegant. A series of black dresses, one with a bodice made of strings of pearls, riffed on the house’s iconic LBD and pearls look wore by Audrey Hepburn. Two dresses featured a fish print sketched by Hubert de Givenchy and a hit of colour came in three emerald green dresses.

  • Chanel

    A giant camellia towered in the middle of the Chanel set and real ones were left on every guest’s seat. Creative director Virginie Viard’s press notes described the flower as “an eternal code of the house” and it provided much of the inspiration for this collection. It appeared scattered across several looks and woven into the fabric of tweeds, knitwear and silk, as well as on jewellery and bags. The mainly black and white collection was interspersed with accents of pink, red and aubergine and also included winter shorts worn over white tights.

  • Dries Van Noten

    Dries Van Noten specialises in timelessness. The store in LA has a room that sells random archive pieces from collections past but they look as fresh as the current offering. The show notes remind us of “the pleasure of fabrics and the life they take on over the years; cherished, used, repaired.” Van Noten is a quiet advocate for investment dressing. In this collection antique fabrications are revisited afresh with faded florals glimpsed beneath technical mesh and hand painted floral prints mixed with gold foil overlay on overcoats. The alchemy is masterful.

  • Courrèges

    The face of the first model onto the runway was lit by the blue glow of her mobile phone, with two others following, also glued to their screens. They wore boxy coats with the sleeves hanging free, their arms slipped through slant pockets instead, creating a modern cape silhouette. Creative director Nicolas Di Felice mined the 1960s heritage of the house with mini dresses and go-go boots. Mirrored CD sized discs, that served as the show invitation, appeared on long slinky black dresses and pops of colour came in a candy pink and red dresses.

  • Alexander McQueen

    “Human anatomy, the anatomy of clothing, the anatomy of flowers … a focus on cut, proportion and silhouette,” explained creative director Sarah Burton on the show notes. The topline message was strict tailoring – shoulders were strong, waists were narrow. Trousers had built-in heels elongating the leg. Despite the orchid motif the mood was tough, with biker leathers reworked into dresses. Menswear included tailored corsets over white shirting and worn on a bare chest. Here, back views were as noteworthy as the front with cut outs and red embellished orchids.

  • Dior

    Maria Grazia Chiuri took inspiration from 1950s French icons Juliette Greco, Edith Piaf and Christian Dior’s sister, Catherine – a member of the French resistance, and who the Miss Dior fragrance is named after. The distinctive full skirted silhouette of Dior’s New Look collection featured throughout – as skirts worn with half unbuttoned white shirts and as elegant prom dresses in primary hued floral satins. Other notable looks included a midi length pencil skirt suit with a cropped jacket, made contemporary with the fabric choice – creased effect black silk and crumpled dogtooth check.

  • Balenciaga

    All eyes were on creative director Demna at Balenciaga following a controversial campaign in November featuring children holding bondage clad teddybears. Here he let the clothes do the talking. Gone were the gimmicks and viral clickbait accessories (save for one huge handbag tucked under a model’s arm). Instead he experimented with silhouettes via inflatable forms sewn into linings of a hoodie, a biker jacket, and tracksuit. Voluminous draped and gathered dresses in silk georgette hid bags underneath asymmetric swags. Tailoring was deconstructed with trousers remade into coats.

  • Louis Vuitton

    Creative director Nicolas Ghesquière’s collection posed the question “What is French style?” – which he answered, in part, as “classicism with a twist”. Artist Philippe Parreno’s installation of a cobbled Paris street, with traffic and clicking heel sound effects, filled the ornate salons at Museum D’Orsay. Models hurried along it, in dresses that stood away from the body, coats that looked like steel, and boots painted to look like pumps. They were carrying tricolore accessories and wearing futuristic light-up eye masks.

  • Chloé

    Creative director Gabriela Hearst was inspired by 17th-century baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi and the need to see women in leadership roles. Renaissance-inspired silhouettes using innovative fabrications – baroque pearls and hand blown glass droplets – referenced Gentileschi’s artworks directly. Leather bag designs were inspired by medieval coin purses. With sustainability Hearst’s real passion, all ready-to-wear Chloé products come with a QR to trace their production journey from the fabric to the finished product.

  • Nina Ricci

    Harris Reed’s stratospheric career trajectory saw him land the role of creative director at Nina Ricci in September. Since then teaser looks have been worn by Florence Pugh at the Baftas, and Harry Styles at the Brits. Star power is Reed’s brand and this collection was all about the insta moment – feathers, volume, colour. A cute lamb and pink apple artwork by Jeanine Brito appeared on two dresses. His inclusive casting, opening with model Precious Lee in a black polka dot puffball dress, shined a light on the backward step most of Paris has taken in that regard.

  • Lanvin

    Creative director Bruno Sialelli took inspiration from a wide range of eras, from the 1940s to the 1980s, as well the 18th century, the renaissance, and medieval period (seen in the gloves and hoods). For good measure, there was a calla lily motif on dresses and the back of jackets. Evening wear is where Lanvin excels and embellished dresses inspired by the mirrored interiors and Murano bibelots of house founder Jeanne Lanvin’s apartment didn’t disappoint.
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