Runway Report: Paris Fashion Week Autumn 2022 Day 2 Recap

The most glamorous season of the year – Paris Fashion Week – is finally here. 

Here are our picks for the most memorable shows from Paris Fashion Week Day 2:

Balmain

For autumn 2022, Olivier Rousteing put his models in body armour – quite literally – a direct reference to the Creative Director’s stance on opposing the war in Ukraine. Rousteing’s showmanship remains unmatched; he devised a spectacular collection in three parts, where warriors in metal, denim and leather strutted the runway amidst tribal dance performances. The presentation seemed like a logical extension of Balmain’s spring 2022 show, this time, with metal transforming from chains to plates that decorated the models’ muscles. Corsets were another prominent element in the range – the newly-beloved design staple took a motorsport-inspired form and adopted padded elements.

Didu

Chinese brand Didu, founded by Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp graduate Di Du, had its triumphant debut at Paris Fashion Week day 2. The brand created a campaign video to go alongside its runway presentation. Corsets and flared jeans were featured prominently. This season’s innovation for the brand lied in its drawing inspirations from motorsport; a cropped leather jacket with a cinched waist and shoulder pads came together with slim leather pants and fur leg warmers. Another biker silhouette with a heavy Muglerite undertone was an enticing one-legged pant under a velvet mini, matched with a cropped bomber.

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten’s autumn 2022 collection was a dream sequence. The decadent, prints-ridden range photographed through blurry filters captured the point where the 70s melancholy intertwined with the 40s stylistic references. The presentation experimented with the idea of balanced juxtaposition – the loudness of a zebra print on that one pair of pants, for example, was absorbed by the texture of nude baroque wallpaper, while the shimmer from the sequined coat was dissipated through the cold, raw walls. With his profound eye for colour, Mr Van Noten could have as much roaring success in running a cutting-edge lifestyle title as he does in helming a luxury brand. 

Rochas

Solemn and romantic are the two words that could pretty much describe Charles de Vilmorin’s autumn 2022 collection for Rochas. His vocabulary this season revolved around Gothic and New Romantic styles – floor-length dresses in abstract prints were styled under sleek jackets, the models strutted to the clicking of long witchy nails that decorated their hands. It was exciting to see angelic sheer tops matched with heavy lace-embroidered skirts, but not as enticing as it was witnessing the skirts and blouses in iridescent pliseé.