Runway Report: Spring/Summer time 2024 Haute Couture Week Highlights

From Shane;’s eternal ode to The Button to Pharrell to Schiaparelli’s martian surrealisms and Jean Paul Gaultier’s long-awaited collaboration, our spring/summer 2024 haute couture highlights have something for everyone. 

Keep reading to discover our Spring/Summer 2024 Haute Couture Week Highlights

Chanel

What’s so poetic about a button? We trust Virginie Viard to school us on such matters through her spring/summer 2024 haute couture collection for Chanel. Viard builds an entire world around the simplest accessory, referencing the jewel buttons beloved by Gabrielle Chanel herself and connecting its notions to ballet. “I have tried to bring together the power and finesse of bodies and clothes in a very ethereal collection, composed of tulle, ruffles, pleats and lace,” read her show notes. The scene came alive with a display of sheer, flowing skirts, elegant gowns, and playful jumpsuits adorned with intricate details such as drapery-inspired embroideries, delicate bows, and illusion tulle accents. Masculine silhouettes were juxtaposed with the celebration of feminine curves in this collection, gracefully layered over pristine white ballet leotards and tights.

Dior

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s vision for Dior’s spring/summer 2024 haute couture is, as always, rife with hypnotising historical references. In a sartorial feat, Chiuri conjures the regal spirits of Ottoman emperors with a bold palette of colours – shimmering gold, stark white, deep grey, rich burgundy, and lush green. This opulence is captured in garments that emulate the geometric lines of La Cigale, exuding an architectural elegance. Coats with commanding collars, sweeping skirts dotted with daring cut-outs, layered ensembles, and impeccably tailored pants and jackets all harken back to iconic silhouettes from Dior’s archives, reimagined for the modern day. A fusion of cotton and silk in the hue of a classic trench coat adds a captivating twist to this innovative yet timeless collection.

Schiaparelli

We’ve all wondered how far creative director Daniel Roseberry can take Schiaparelli’s surrealisms. Whatever any of us thought, we were all wrong. Not. Even. Close. For the spring/summer 2024 haute couture collection, Roseberry takes alien forms, as evidenced by the unique V-shaped necklines that plunge to the diaphragm, and seamlessly blends them with cyborgs (cue in the newest social media sensations – the robot baby and the motherboard dress) and Texan cowboys, as seen from the hand-painted paillettes and dramatic fringe tassels. All these contradictions and paradoxes are far from a coincidence. As it turns out, back in 1887, Elsa Schiaparelli’s uncle, director of the Brera Observatory in Milan, coined the term “martian”, which is something that inspired Roseberry to look beyond the confines of our realm, while “grounding” his work through earthly sentimentalisms. 

Valentino

The dichotomy of Pierpaolo Piccioli’s spring/summer 2024 haute couture show for Valentino, aptly titled Le Salon, opens up a world of paradoxes. With his creative vision leading the way, the collection simultaneously embraces futuristic designs (think oversized parkas and sleek turtlenecks) while paying homage to the time-honoured genesis of couture (cue dramatic silhouettes and bold colour choices). Valentino’s haute couture is a relentless pursuit of perfection, driven by an unwavering love for craftsmanship and a fascination with the creative process. Jewellery delicately coils golden ribbons around the body, seemingly defying the laws of physics. Through masterful manipulation of fabrics and techniques, fantastical illusions of exotic skins, furs, and feathers are brought to life – intricate layers of silk organza and hand-cut sequins emulate the essence of nature through human ingenuity. 

Jean Paul Gaultier

Ah, Jean Paul Gaultier and his everlasting vow to challenge fashion norms and inspire the jaw drops among some of the industry’s most cynical figureheads. And his spring/summer 2024 haute couture collection saw the revered French designer join arms (or pass the ropes, rather) to Irish designer and the biggest bow advocate (before this new coquette aesthetic was even a thing), Simone Rocha. When the rumours of Rocha designing Gaultier’s haute couture collection first emerged, it was hard to imagine what the fruits of this creative decision might look like. Yet, it defied every preconceived notion. A variety of structures conveyed Rocha’s mastery of both textile manipulation and archival research. The beloved cone bra often associated with Madonna became a skirt suit with an exaggerated A-line silhouette, and corsetry lacing became ribboned seams framing a stunning little black dress with Leg of Mutton sleeves. The signature Gaultier sailor stripes became – duh – ribbons and the obsessively constructed corsets adopted intricate floral details. 

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Viktor & Rolf

In their latest collection, Viktor & Rolf embrace contradiction and paradox with fervent conviction. The spring/summer 2024 haute couture collection embodies the dynamic tension between polish and rawness, precision and improvisation, gravity and humour. Each group begins with a flawless couture piece, painstakingly crafted by hand, which serves as a foundation for three progressive iterations of the same design. The pieces explore the creative possibilities of impulsive scissors, used to experiment with decorative cutting techniques. From minuscule holes in Rorschach patterns to ballgowns slashed in half, controlled chaos reigns supreme. This monochromatic collection utilizes classic couture fabrics such as velvet, sequins, and satin in both fluid and compact forms. The absence of colour highlights the intricacy of the silhouettes and the precise cuttings that create unexpected slashes and holes, revealing the body in all its magnificence.

Robert Wun

A master of couture and Hong Kong-born, Robert Wun enthrals us with his hauntingly original anthology of terror, crafted from beads, silk, velvet, and his signature pleats. For his spring/summer 2024 haute couture collection, he seamlessly follows the same macabre theme as his last show. The eerie elegance begins with an evolved version of The Rain Coat from the previous season – now transformed into a stunning dress. Next, Wun presents his twisted take on the scorned bride: a corset top paired with pants, gloves, and an umbrella hat splattered with ink. And just when we thought his imagination had reached its peak, he dazzled us with a seductive menswear range. The leather look is sinister yet stylish, complete with a hand-shaped headpiece and a coat-dress hybrid that exposes the clavicles. But that’s not all – Wun continues to push the boundaries of fashion with draped gowns that meld seamlessly with the models’ skin, embroidery resembling broken glass (as chilling as it sounds), and surreal accessories that add an extra layer of fright to the ensembles.