News 07.03.2024

Need to Know

Cutting through the chaos and overwhelming nature of fashion month, we distil the key insights from Paris Fashion Week.

Renaissance Rebranded

Loewe also looked to the past for its autumn/winter 2024 show. Inspired by American artist Albert York, the brand crafted intricate masterpieces, France

France – The global fashion community gathered in Paris between 26 February and 5 March 2024 for the last stop in fashion month. Rick Owens and Coperni presented futuristic shows, while Balenciaga and Vetements looked to present-day popular culture as a point of reference (Team Jolie all the way). But at Vivienne Westwood and Rokh, the inspiration was unexpectedly found in the Renaissance.

Westwood’s Autumn/Winter 2024 ready-to-wear presentation was creative director Andreas Kronthaler’s ode to his and the late Dame Vivienne Westwood’s shared love of history. ‘I decided to look at late Renaissance costumes because I went to a Giovanni Battista Moroni exhibition in Milan which reminded me very much of the beginning of working with Vivienne,’ Kronthaler wrote in a statement. Presented alongside an eclectic performance of yodelling, axe-wielding and a bottom-drumming dance, the collection was centred around Renaissance-inspired codpieces, for male and female models alike, paired with period-bending conical breasts, platform boots and swathes of tartan – Westwood’s signature.

South Korean designer Rokh Hwang looked to both the High Renaissance and Romanticism to inform his work. The former for the ‘classical ideals of human form, focusing on perfection and harmony’ epitomised at the time, and the latter for its emphasis on ‘individualism and emotion, exploring raw human experiences and irrational aspects of existence’.

The resulting combination featured deconstructed trench coats paired with lace corsets and petticoats. One model walked the runway completely engulfed from head to foot in a tapestry representing a Renaissance Mannerist painting of a male angel.

Strategic opportunity

Explore the fusion of historical elements with modern designs. Consider creating collections that draw inspiration from different historical periods, such as the Renaissance, to bring a unique and timeless aesthetic to your brand

Fashion as everyday armour

Acne Studios autumn/winter 2024, France Acne Studios autumn/winter 2024, France
Acne Studios autumn/winter 2024, France Acne Studios autumn/winter 2024, France

France – At Paris Fashion Week, designers turned clothes into everyday armour – or, as we coined on LS:N Global in 2023, Safety Fits. Rain might have been falling from the ceiling at Hermès, but the models were well protected. In her show notes, creative director Nadège Vanhée described the collection, The Rider, as one designed for an urban woman ready to brave the elements – brazenly riding a bike or a horse towards new adventures. Models were donned in head-to-toe leather, thick riding boots and studded dresses with small purses tied to their waist, ready for any chic combat.

Inspired by the quote ‘fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life’, Chitose Abe, founder and creative director of Sacai, also referenced the ‘emotional protection’ that clothing can afford its wearer. For Abe, this took the form of boxy silhouettes, oversized utilitarian jackets with high-necked tops peeking out and huge, inflated pockets.

Meanwhile, Acne’s collection was inspired by Estonian artist Villu Jaanisoo’s ‘mechanical’ treatment of objects. In the almost apocalyptic collection models wore full-length trucker denim dresses, Icelandic shearling coats and leather dresses with in-built armoured breastplates, accessorised with padlocks for earrings and gunmetal necklaces.

As analysed in our New York Fashion Week download, utilitarian safety fits were featured in the collection of brands such as Helmut Lang and Tory Burch.

Strategic opportunity

Consumers and designers naturally turn to fashion to make a statement in the face of our looming permacrisis. Find inspiration in the Paris Fashion Week shows. How can you infuse activism into the mundane?

African fashion begins a new chapter in Paris

France – The only Africa-based brand on the official schedule, MaXhosa Africa, showcased its autumn/winter 2024 collection, My Conviction. Chief creative director Laduma Ngxokolo was making its debut at Paris Fashion Week, bringing a fusion of Xhosa (an ethnic group native to South Africa) tradition and contemporary design to the global stage.

The collection, a tribute to the brand’s 13-year journey, featured revamped elements from past collections, blending authenticity with innovation. ‘I revisited some of the ideas I had in the past and changed them a little bit,’ the designer told Haute Couture News – emphasising the importance of preserving African culture in contemporary fashion.

The event wasn’t just a runway show but a cultural event held at the Residence of the Ambassador of South Africa to France. During the presentation, Ngxokolo narrated South African folklore stories in an attempt to challenge Western perceptions of African fashion and promote the integration of culture into daily wear.

Reflecting on the global potential of African fashion, the designer told WWD: ‘I believe we, the African continent, stand a good chance to play a big part in the global value eco-system of the fashion business.’ With MaXhosa’s unique blend of tradition and modernity, the brand aims to make a lasting impact on the international fashion scene.

Keep an eye on our Fashion section for our upcoming analysis of the African fashion market.

MaXhosa autumn/winter 2024 lookbook, France

Strategic opportunity

Embrace the fusion of cultural elements in product design, not limited to fashion. Incorporate diverse cultural influences into products and services to appeal to a wider global audience while celebrating authenticity

New Codes of Sustainability  

Opening her autumn/winter 2024 show, Stella McCartney presented the brand’s 2024 sustainability manifesto, France

France – Fashion weeks are inevitably a time of excess and Paris was no exception. But if you looked closely enough, nods to new codes of sustainability were emerging.

Balenciaga set the stage before the shows even began, with an unusual invitation in the form of an eBay package. Inside, each guest unwrapped a unique vintage offering from creative director Demna Gvasalia, with an invitation reading: ‘The Winter 24 invitation is a random object found on eBay, the platform used by Demna to search for antique collectibles. These inspire the imagination of personal stories, which gives the objects a new life.’ The invitation acted as a creative endorsement of circularity, something Balenciaga would have done well to further incorporate into its catwalk show.

Meanwhile, Stella McCartney’s winter 2024 collection was presented as a ‘message from Mother Earth’ that it’s ‘about f*cking time’ to make some changes’. The designs drew inspiration from the draped, light dresses McCartney’s late mother, Linda McCartney, wore, as well as referencing the image of the girl boss through power suits with strong shoulders. This season, 90% of the brand’s ready-to-wear collection was crafted from sustainable materials such as Uppeal, one of the plant-based leathers redefining luxury.

For more insights on materials, head to our analysis of Material Matters 2023.

Strategic opportunity

Identify where unsustainable materials such as leather are used in your industry and begin experimenting with plant-based alternatives such as Uppeal

Previous News Articles
Burberry revives archival outerwear for National Geographic documentary

News

Burberry revives archival outerwear for National Geographic documentary

Burberry’s latest archival display at its London Regent Street store celebrates Sir Ernest Shackleton’s legendary 1914 Antarctic expedition.
Luxury : Pop-culture & Media : Fashion
Gob launches mycelium-based earplugs

News

Gob launches mycelium-based earplugs

Gob is revolutionising the earplug market with a mycelium-based alternative that promises to eliminate the environmental impact of traditional disp...
Sustainability : Health & Wellness : Design
Brenda Lee’s holiday classic enters the AI era with Spanish re-release

News

Brenda Lee’s holiday classic enters the AI era with Spanish re-release

Brenda Lee’s iconic holiday song, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, has been re-imagined as Noche Buena y Navidad in a Spanish-language release po...
Technology : Pop-culture & Media : Society
Stat: US Gen Z are the most likely to hide their voting choices

News

Stat: US Gen Z are the most likely to hide their voting choices

An October 2024 Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll reveals that nearly half of Gen Z voters (48%) in the US have lied about their voting prefere...
Society : Youth : Politics
Camdom is the world’s first digital condom for safer intimacy

News

Camdom is the world’s first digital condom for safer intimacy

This Sexual Health Awareness Month, condom brand Billy Boy and creative agency Innocean Berlin unveiled Camdom, an app that acts as a digital condo...
Health & Wellness : Technology : Pop-culture & Media
Resting Reef memorialises pets as eco-friendly marine reefs

News

Resting Reef memorialises pets as eco-friendly marine reefs

Eco-friendly funeral company Resting Reef has launched a pet memorial service that blends pet ashes with crushed shells to create eco-friendly unde...
Design : Health & Wellness : Sustainability
Netflix new unveils Moments feature to save and share scenes

News

Netflix new unveils Moments feature to save and share scenes

Netflix has launched a new feature called Moments, allowing subscribers to bookmark, save and share their favourite scenes from shows and movies.
Technology : Pop-culture & Media : Society
Stat: Mars’ study reveals strong pet devotion

News

Stat: Mars’ study reveals strong pet devotion

Mars has unveiled ‘the largest global pet parent study to date’ of more than 20,000 pet owners across 20 countries.
Pets : Society : Retail
Samsonite’s new durable suitcase can survive travelling to the edge of space

News

Samsonite’s new durable suitcase can survive travelling to the edge of space

Samsonite has unveiled its latest innovation, the Proxis Space collection, setting new standards in travel gear with sustainability and advanced te...
Luxury : Travel & Hospitality : Design
The Saudi Investment Bank celebrates national identity with bespoke typeface

News

The Saudi Investment Bank celebrates national identity with bespoke typeface

The Saudi Investment Bank and creative agency Impact BBDO have launched I am Saudi, a campaign celebrating national heritage with a bespoke typeface.
Design : Advertising & Branding : Finance
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN