Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guides to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guides to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
On International Olympic Day, Vogue World celebrated 100 years of French fashion with an Olympic-themed show and spectacle on the final day of the menswear collections at Paris Fashion Week.
Singer Aya Nakamura sang, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid rode horses down the catwalk, sports stars Venus and Serena Williams modeled on the cobblestones, and pop singers Sabrina Carpenter and Katy Perry made a surprise appearance at Paris’ Place Vendôme.
This unusual event combines athleticism, French fashion and the pure, unadulterated glamour of the last century, and marks 100 years since the last Olympic Games were held in Paris in 1924.
The event also dated back to June 23, 1894, the day that French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, established the International Olympic Committee.
More than 151 models and 188 athletes participated in the show. Matching different sports with different eras and styles, this high-energy collection extravaganza resembled a sophisticated Broadway musical with fantastic costumes as the sun set over Paris’ magnificent Place Vendôme.
For its third Vogue World event, following the New York Street Fair in 2022 and a tribute to London’s theatre world in 2023, the show will align with the Paris Olympics and celebrate all things France and the runway. The fashion designs were unveiled against a backdrop of tap dancing, pirouette-dodging waiters holding red wine and even models clutching baguettes.
Tracing the century, each decade was paired with an era of designers and styles. The ’20s was the age of cycling, highlighted by white coats from designers like Chanel and Schiaparelli. The ’30s was the age of ‘Athletics’ with Balenciaga. The ’40s, which popularised the bikini, was the age of ‘Swimming’ with Jacquemus. The ’50s brought the ‘Equestrian’ style shown through the prism of Dior’s decade-defining New Look. The ’60s was the age of Courrèges’ fencing look.
By the time the ’70s saw the arrival of Givenchy-inspired choreography, some journalists had forgotten to take notes, engrossed in the mesmerizing spectacle of the choreography unfolding in a picturesque square, where a star-studded front row, including Pharrell Williams, rivaled the stars walking the cobblestones.
The ’80s focused on martial arts, the ’90s on soccer, reinterpreting the late Azzedine Alaïa’s tricolor dress. The Williams sisters erupted in cheers when they appeared in the “Tennis” section, Venus in a daring, form-fitting mermaid dress and Serena in a practical black slit gown, warrior-like.
The finale featured a breakdancing performance, which filled the venue with excitement and marked the unofficial kickoff of the Paris Games, which will be held from July 26th to August 11th.
Beneath the high ceilings of the historic Louvre, Paris’ most iconic Haussmannian post office, recently renovated, Japanese IT brand Sacai showed off its latest collection. Known for her “hybridization” technique, designer Chitose Abe continues to fuse different elements into single, eye-catching pieces, making them appear as one piece when viewed from the front and another when viewed from behind.
Twists were prominent throughout the show. The pleats seen on the white tuxedo shirts on the red carpet were creatively reinterpreted as floaty white baggy tube skirts and white bohemian toggle tops. In dark colors, these quirky styles exuded a preppy vibe, complemented by shiny leather loafers. Indeed, preppy and military details are Abe’s trademarks and were on full display in the funky collection: white shirts, thick-rimmed glasses, and pinstripes ticked the preppy box, while chunky round shoulders and heavy layers ticked the military box.
The collection also showcased Abe’s ability to blend the traditional and the modern: denim, colorful patterns and huggable knits brought a comfortable softness to hard-line silhouettes.
Even in an age of email dominance and environmental awareness, the fashion industry’s antiquated invitation system remains largely intact.
Each season, gas-guzzling couriers crisscross Paris to personally deliver elaborate, often handcrafted, show invitations; top fashion houses compete for the most imaginative and outlandish, often hinting at the theme of the runway collection.
Pharrell Williams’ UNESCO show invite was an Apple AirTag embossed with Louis Vuitton, reminiscent of Royal Mint memorabilia.
Loewe’s invitations came in giant colored leather square pockets, too big for traditional letterboxes. Dior Men’s opted for a leather pencil case featuring sketches by the collection’s reference artist and ceramist, Hilton Nell. In contrast, Vogue World went for an eco-friendly design with a simple QR code sent via email.
Fans went wild on social media over pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s surprise performance at the fashion show. “Omg she’s gorgeous,” one fan wrote on X/Twitter, while another added: “Our 5’11” tiny model.”