With Paris Couture Fashion Week in full swing, here’s a look at the hot shows, cool collaborations and memorable shoe moments.
Jan 23: Balmain‘s Couture Footwear Has New Fans
Balmain returned to the couture calendar with a capital B, and Olivier Rousteing closed out the week with its most sublime footwear. Ankle booties came with graffiti inspired pleated fans to the rear resembling wings and mirroring the couture silhouettes that enveloped the bodies. The house’s creative director unveiled a brand new logo in in December and in addition to adorning bulbous pearl bags and bracelets, Balmain’s new B also featured on PVC strap sandals in the shape of a graphic metal heel.
Jan 23: Valentino‘s Floating Footwear
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The contemporary vibe of Pierpaolo Piccioli’s couture trackpants echoed in the footwear. Simple sandals in heel colors that matched the looks appeared to be floating on the foot due to their PVC straps. They came with lace or hand-appliqué rhinestone and sequin hosiery in tonal shades.
Jan 23: Ronald van der Kemp’s Couture Sneaker Collab
Van der Kemp has launched his own label footwear for fall with distinctive angular silhouettes done in upcycled fabrics just like his garments. The sustainable demi-couture label also worked with sports brand Filling Pieces matching garments to shoes such as this shellsuit sneaker combo.
Jan. 22: Kinky Boots at Givenchy
Meghan Markle’s wedding dress designer, Givenchy’s Clare Waight Keller modernized traditional laces such as guipure and Chantilly via subversive lacquer finishes and created soaring thigh-high boots to match that fitted like a second skin.
Jan. 22: Amina Muaddi Does Shoes for Alexandre Vauthier
Alexandre Vauthier and shoe designer Amina Muaddi wrote the playbook on Parisian chic with two-tone black and white ruched ankle booties and styles featuring Swarovski crystal tips and pearl ankle straps. “They emphasize the ankle but in a very refined way like wearing a Chanel necklace but on your feet,” said Muaddi, who earned the honor of FN’s 2018 Launch of the Year award for her namesake label. There’s also nothing more Parisian than an ultra-chic trench coat and Vaultier’s, done in ivory patent leather, came teamed with Muaddi’s matching thigh-high cuissard boots.
Jan. 22: Swimwear and Stilettos at Chanel
For the Chanel Couture spring ’19 show, Karl Lagerfeld transported guests to an imposing French Riviera villa, which came complete with a swimming pool. But it wouldn’t be a pool party without swimwear and the final look featured a cutout appliqué one-piece with sparkling stilettos to match. Read the full show review here.
Jan. 21: Dior’s Circus Shoes
The spring ’19 show took place in a striped Dior logo tent at the Musee Rodin and everything sparkled from top to toe. Heeled ankle boots and cross-strap flats came festooned with glitter. Couture footwear has a reputation for playing it very safe, but in a circus setting, a glitter boot becomes an approachable (not to mention, Instagrammable) trend that everyone can get behind. See the full Dior couture collection here.
Jan. 21: Giambattista Valli Blends East & West
Chic mid-calf stiletto boots gave a contemporary, Western spin to the collection, which riffed off Yves Saint Laurent’s 1970s Orientalism collection.
Jan. 21: Iris van Herpen’s “Glow in the Dark” Shoes
When the lights were killed for the finale at Iris van Herpen, both the sandals and the hems of the dresses appeared to glow in the dark, but it was actually a very high tech trick of the light. The effect was created via very precise laser beams.
Jan. 21: Schiaparelli’s Rodeo Drive
Cowgirls at Paris Haute Couture Week? Mais oui. Schiaparelli’s Bertrand Guyon gave his frocks a youthful and androgynous attitude, pairing some of the looks with kick-ass Western boots. The star motifs mirrored the astrological theme of the spring ‘19 collection.
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