YStyle Trend Report: Fall 2018 Couture Collections

MANILA, Philippines — YStyle checks in on the couture collections for eight of the most notable shows for our fall 2018 roundup.

FEVER DREAM

Valentino

In what feels like a standout couture collection we’ll remember for seasons to come, Pierpaolo Piccioli serves up a master class in technique and texture for the house of Valentino. “That is what couture is for me, a place where you can express your vision of beauty, your intimate dreams,” the designer shares with WWD.com. The look was unapologetic glamour, heady and unfettered in diaphanous taffeta capes sculpted in micro-plissé detailing; patchwork meets quilted in Greek myth motifs and Ziggy Stardust sparkle; a caravan of radzimir skirts, lamé jackets, velvets and every brocade imaginable — some ensembles literally heightened even more by the Marie Antoinette meets Jackie O bouffants courtesy of hairstylist Guido Palau. True to his signature as a great colorist  (with delicious hues of sorbet pinks, chartreuse, Kelly greens, deep blues and true Valentino red) and his penchant for folkloric motifs — dialed up to 11 for this particular collection — Piccioli’s stellar outing reportedly brought a tear to Mr. Valentino’s eye, as he sat front row during the show. Bravo. Clothes that elicit emotion, keeping the dream of fashion alive. This is what couture is all about. —MY

MOON RIVER

Givenchy

Clare Waight Keller takes her second bow for Givenchy couture — a strong, sculptural approach that reinterprets the house archives and signatures for the modern customer. A collection that feels especially timely because the founder, Hubert de Givenchy, died earlier this year at the age of 91. It was an elegant lineup of broad-shouldered gowns, feather embroidered silks, masculine meets feminine tailoring and silver spackle done up in the shape of armor — almost all, no doubt, paying homage to the namesake designer’s legacy in some archival reference or another. From Audrey Hepburn to Meghan Markle (whose wedding dress design by Waight Keller was sparked by a 1964 Vogue photograph of a Givenchy dress), the house muse lives on. —MY

FAUX REAL

Fendi

Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi brought the highest form of “imitation” to couture for their fall 2018 presentation. Known as one of the oldest and most luxurious furriers — coats of mink, astrakhan and fox being par for the course — the house took a turn with trompe-l’oeil interpretations of their fuzzy signatures. Think shirred, micro-fringed chiffon that mimicked the look and shape of an intarsia-treated skirt suit — just one of many creative examples of how the design duo brought faux to the fore. But the collection wasn’t without the real thing, offering jackets and stoles made up of the genuine article. Fendi isn’t ready to embrace the “fur is murder” zeitgeist just yet, but at the very least, they’re offering the customer a smart and chic alternative. As one of the oldest and most storied fur makers, that still says something. —MY

NEW AGE NOMADS

Maison Margiela

Inspired by “nomadic glamour” and society’s fixation with technology, John Galliano’s Artisanal collection for Maison Margiela is a retro-futuristic exploration into “creating your own world within a world that’s very troubled at the moment.” The idea of layering gets a technicolor twist as conceptual creations —say, an oversized highlighter blue coat trimmed with goat’s hair or a translucent pleated trench — are encased in neon nylon knit tubes. Meanwhile, swaddles of quilted bin-liners, packing foam, and padded blankets are fashioned into voluminous silhouettes and fastened with reflective Velcro strips. Strapped to the models’ (or “neo-digital natives,” as Galliano calls them) ankles are iPhones set to live streaming mode, filming the show attendees in real time. Nomads may move about from place to place but the journey’s sure to be exhilarating, if Maison Margiela has anything to say about it. —MB

SUGAR SUGAR

Giambattista Valli

“The idea of youth is important,” shares Giambattista Valli on Vogue.com for his fall 2018 couture collection, “because I have a very young customer. They give a new attitude to haute couture — or at least, to my eyes.” This season, Valli delivered his signature frothy tulle confections (some requiring 400 yards of fabric) and full-feather fantasia gowns — but there was something more: markedly relaxed silhouettes (in sheathes and trouser suits) and a sense of “casual” couture. The woman is hot (leggy in a bow-accented bandeau and black duchesse satin pant pairing), the woman is cool (in feathered minis, no less). This is Giambattista’s take on dressing the woman of now.  —MY

A QUIET ELEGANCE

Christian Dior

“Couture is about something hidden,” Maria Grazia Chiuri explains. “Craftsmanship is long; it is a dream for a future.” And it’s her vision of this dream that was presented in Dior’s haute couture collection for fall. Observe: ethereal gowns in powdery soft palettes are pleated, feathered and hand-embroidered to perfection (some dresses took around 1,000 hours to make — a testament to the intense dedication of Dior’s skilled petites mains) while a smattering of tailored suits, including a glinting ottoman trouser suit in gold lamé, offers a modern take on the House’s iconic Bar suit. Meanwhile, veiled Parisienne berets by master milliner Stephen Jones take inspiration from the formidable Mitzah Bricard, muse to couturier Christian Dior himself. This season, luxury meets intimacy. And the result? Exquisite. —MB

AN ODE TO PARIS

Chanel

Dubbed “High Profile,” Chanel’s couture outing for fall is a tribute to its birthplace: Paris. While sequin-encrusted bustiers bring to mind the nighttime reflections on the Seine, the House’s classic tweed suit (reimagined for 2018 with elongated skirts that zip open to reveal matching mini-skirts inside) is done in varying shades of gray to reference Paris’ paved streets. Of course, a fitting finale for a show that pays homage to the city of love is a wedding dress and Lagerfeld’s beautifully unconventional version is a leaf-embroidered tweed rendition in pale green. Interestingly, the collection didn’t rely on unnecessary pomp to impress. Instead, the presentation cuts through the noise and shines a light on the technique, craftsmanship and handiwork of the atelier’s artisans. Couture magic, indeed. —MB

ELECTRIC ECCENTRICS

Schiaparelli

This fall, creative director Bertrand Guyon looks to the life and personality of Elsa Schiaparelli as the main design influence for Schiaparelli’s haute couture outing. After all, who better to take inspiration from than the legendary house founder herself? From a larger-than-life silk moiré opera coat in shocking pink (the brand’s trademark hue) and a see-through column gown embroidered with silk flowers to a sweeping ivory caftan displaying a blown-up portrait of the Italian-born French couturière, maximalist creations are imbibed with an air of exuberance. The butterfly, besides being the Surrealist symbol for metamorphosis and death, is also a Schiaparelli signature that makes an appearance in the collection, seen floating atop structured nipped-waist jackets and diaphanous gowns or taking the form of striking fluorescent masks. —MB