Vogue's Global Olympic Extravaganza Shines at Paris Fashion Week

The star of French song Aya Nakamura was chirping. Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid rode horses. Venus Serena Williams and Katy Perry modeled themselves on the cobbles. It was Place Vendôme in Paris, a place never seen before.

On the occasion of International Olympic Day, Vogue World took over the last day of Paris Fashion Week's men's collections with a runway show on the theme of the Olympic Games.

This rare event mixed athletics, French fashion and pure razzmatazz of the last century, marking 100 years since the last Paris Games in 1924. The event also made reference to June 23, 1894, the day the founder of the modern Olympic Games, the French nobleman Pierre de Coubertin, launched the International Olympic Committee.

Here are some highlights of Sunday collections:

Combining different sports with different eras and styles, the high-octane collection's extravagance felt like a polished Broadway musical with incredible clothing as the sun set over Paris's magnificent Place Vendôme.

For the third Vogue World event, after a street fair in New York in 2022 and a tribute to the London theater scene in 2023, the show joined forces with the Paris Games celebrating all things French and the catwalks. The fashion designs were presented against a backdrop of tap dancing, pirouettes of waiters holding red wine and even models holding baguettes.

Tracing back a century, each decade was associated with an era of design and style. The 1920s were all about cycling and featured white coats from designers such as Chanel and Schiaparelli. The 1930s were “Balenciaga athletics.” The 1940s, the era that gave the world the bikini, was “Jacquemus athletics”. The 1950s brought “equestrian styles, as seen through the prism of Dior's New Look that defined the decade.” The 60s were the fencing looks of Courrèges.

By the time the 1970s were inventing Givenchy-style choreographed “gymnastics,” some journalists had completely forgotten to continue taking notes, captivated by the intoxicating spectacle of the choreographed spectacle on the picturesque square, the front row filled with stars, including Pharrell Williams, even rivaled the stars who walked the boards (cobblestones).

The 80s focused on martial arts and the 90s focused on football, with a reinterpretation of the tricolor dress of the late icon Azzedine Alaia. Cheers went up as the Williams sisters appeared for the “tennis section”, Venus in a daring body-hugging mermaid dress and Serena warrior-like in a black, utility slit dress.

The finale featured breakdancing. The atmosphere was electric, giving the unofficial start of the Paris Games, which will take place from July 26 to August 11.

Under the high ceiling of the recently renovated historic Haussmannian post office of La Poste du Louvre, the most emblematic in Paris, the Japanese brand Sacai presented its latest collection. Designer Chitose Abe, known for her approach to “hybridization,” continued to fuse disparate elements into singular, eye-catching pieces, making them look like one thing from the front and another from the back.

The twists and turns were evident throughout the show. The pleats seen on white and red tuxedo shirts have been creatively reimagined in the form of white soft tube skirts and white bohemian rocker tops. In darker colors, these offbeat styles sported a preppy look, complemented by shiny leather loafers. Indeed, the preppy and military details of Abes signatures were on full display in the funky collection. White shirts, thick-rimmed glasses, and pinstripes checked the preppy box, while big round shoulders and chunky coats checked the military box.

The collection also showcased Abes' talent for blending the traditional and the modern. Denim, colorful patterns and cozy knits brought a welcome touch of softness to harder-lined silhouettes.

In an age dominated by email and increased environmental awareness, the fashion industry's antiquated invitation system remains largely intact.

Season after season, gas-guzzling couriers crisscross Paris, personally delivering elaborate, often handmade, show invitations. The biggest fashion houses compete for the most imaginative and eccentric ideas, often alluding to the theme of the runway collections.

Pharrell Williams' invitation to his UNESCO exhibition was an embossed Apple AirTag from Louis Vuitton, reminiscent of a royal mint souvenir. Loewes' invitation came in the form of a giant square pouch in colorful leather, too big for any conventional mailbox. Dior Mens opted for a leather case, topped with a sketch by the collection's referenced artist and ceramicist, Hylton Nel. In contrast, Vogue World has embraced eco-friendliness with a simple QR code sent via email.

Madame Woo of Wooyoungmi is renowned for her fusion of Parisian or European elegance and Korean cultural heritage. The creations of South Korean designers mix traditional elements of their country of origin with a contemporary and open vision of culture. On Sunday, his show was proof of that.

Leather derby shoes were effortlessly paired with Renaissance lace-up cropped pants adorned with traditional decorative beading at the neck.

Other looks masterfully combined the rugged look of the American Wild West with details like decorated belts and a long perforated coat reminiscent of avant-garde leather.

Madame Woo often transforms utilitarian basics into luxurious, tactile masterpieces, as seen in previous collections featuring lush blue velvet work coats and fine brushed suede uniform jackets.

On Sunday, cropped black leather biker pants and a baseball top emblazoned with the Wooyoungmi logo ensured that, despite the rich cultural references, eclecticism was the name of the game this spring.

The Sabah Daily News Bulletin

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