Whether you’ve skipped, hobbled, or simply sat comfortably in your home through the back-to-back fashion months, the end is almost in sight. Kicking off at the start of the week, the final leg of AW24 is here, bringing the travelling troupe to Paris. 

With returns to the schedule in the form of Ester Manas and Off-White, as well as debuts from new Ann Demeulemeester creative director Stefano Gallici and Chloé’s Chemena Kamali. Elsewhere, as always, the schedule was jam-packed full of some of fashion’s biggest players – including Dior, Loewe, and Saint Laurent. 

If your brain can’t handle the speed of it all or you’ve sworn off screen time like The Row, scroll through the highlights (so far!) below to catch up quicker than you can say, “tout est bien qui finit bien” – all’s well that ends well! 

RICK OWENS WAS AN ODE TO SENSITIVE YOUNG SISSYS

As with his menswear collection presented in January, once again Rick Owens invited guests into his home in Paris to present his AW24 womenswear collection. 

Entitled Porterville, the collection drew inspiration from the designer’s childhood, “growing up in a judgmental environment hostile to an overly sensitive young sissy”, according to the show notes. With TV banned, Owens listened to opera and his father narrated Edgar Rice Burroughs stories to him, prompting him to dream of a life beyond his hometown. For AW24, he brought these characters to life, inviting friends of the house Fecal Matter, Gena Marvin, and photographer Kristina Nagel to walk in the show. 

The collection featured figure-engulfing donut stoles, felt ‘space suits’ and new iterations of those inflatable boots – made in collaboration with Straytukay – this time in dusty bubblegum pink or ribbed. Elsewhere, jackets and shrouds were fashioned from recycled bike tyres, in collaboration with rubber expert Matisse Di Maggio. 

GIVENCHY WAS A GLAMOROUS PALATE CLEANSER

With Matthew Williams stepping down as creative director at the start of the year, Givenchy’s in-house studio team was responsible for the AW24 collection as the brand is yet to announce a replacement. 

Looking back at the history of the house, the design team honed Hubert de Givenchy’s vision for the modern woman – offering glam eveningwear silhouettes suitable for both day and night. Daytime glamour came in the form of cozy knits with trailing trains, mullet-cut coats, and sharp suiting. Later on, the ante was upped via velvet mini dresses and sparkling sequin numbers. 

Somewhat surprisingly for a ready-to-wear show, the collection closed with a bridal look – adorned with delicate feathers and complete with veil and gloves. Perhaps it was the design team’s subtle way of saying they’re not always the bridesmaids, they can be the bride too.  

RABANNE GOT REAL

After his army of intergalactic warriors last season (v Dune: Part Two) and rubbing shoulders with Joe Public thanks to his H&M collection, this season Julien Dossena wanted to return to the real world. 

Inspired by the ritual of dressing oneself, the collection was an eclectic clash of prints, textures, and influences – blending them all together to create individual characters with their own personal styles. Think muted workwear materials spruced up with flashes of florals, jackets that fused leather and plaid, and silk maxi dresses comprising no less than six different prints. 

While the house’s signature chain mail wasn’t as prominent as it was for SS24, it still made an appearance, rendered as floral and houndstooth print shirts and vests that poked out from under or were tied around models’ waists. Elsewhere, smatterings of silver flowers that adorned tights and sheer layered dresses were present for your sparkly fix.

MISS DIOR IS BACK

Continuing to collaborate with female artists, this season Maria Grazia Chiuri enlisted Mumbai-based artist Shakuntala Kulkarni to fill the AW24 show space with artwork and installations. Crafting warriors out of cane, the sculptures – which models weaved around – represented how things designed to protect the body can also cage and constrict it. 

In the collection, MGC was thinking about the Swinging Sixties – choosing to revive the Miss Dior line from 1967, boldly painting it on jackets and skirts to hit home the message. Later on, the collection visited the 20s, with fringed, beaded flapper dresses and skirts that are perfect for the speakeasy. 

UNDERCOVER WORKED FROM 9-5

This season, Jun Takahashi was thinking about the working woman – titling his AW24 show Watching a Working Woman after the Wim Wenders poem. Of course, in Undercover’s world, this was no simple collection of jeans and a nice top – though they were present. 

Instead, the Japanese designer wanted to reinterpret recognisable everyday garments and infuse them with an essence of the extraordinary using a technique he called ‘adhesion’. Jeans erupted in fun sprays of golden tinsel and fuzzy shearling poked out from underneath leather jackets while trompe-l'oeil prints gave the illusion of wearing workwear trousers. The simple plain, white tee was upgraded, transformed into a dress with flowing floral silk trim. 

Rushing around doing errands, models toted shopping bags brimming with bread, flowers, and yoga mats. If this is what life is like for a working woman, sign me up! 

RÓISÍN PIERCE EMBRACED CHAOS 

Ahead of her AW24 show, it was announced that Róisín Pierce would be the latest designer to join Dover Street Market’s brand development roster – an initiative that will offer her support with sales and production from next season. 

For now, the designer continued to hone her delicate aesthetic and presented the latest collection, O lovely one, in the Irish Embassy in Paris. A mish-mash of ruched dresses and bloomers, sensual sheer panels to reveal hints of skin underneath, and delicate embroidery, it even a look in black (gasp!). 

“Each piece (in the collection) is an ode to an instrument of order in a chaotic world, myriad textures meeting in hymn-like crescendo... made from fabrics including deadstock cotton, organza sourced from the UK, recycled satin, embroidery sourced from St. Gallen’s, Switzerland, fine pleated Georgette and fine cotton blue from Italy, and Irish crochet lace. Crafted, as ever, by hands we hold dear,” Pierce said in the show notes. 

OLIVIER ROUSTEING ENTERED THE GARDEN AT BALMAIN

After the trauma from SS24’s hijacking scandal, Olivier Rousteing seemed to be seeking peace at Balmain this season. “Just as we always do, my team and I began preparing for this collection by combing through Balmain’s extensive archives,” the show notes explained. “We were all in agreement – after shining our spring runway’s spotlight on Monsieur Balmain’s beloved rose, it seemed only natural to maintain the focus on our founder’s green thumb and build our fall designs upon his unique history of incorporating the fruits from his many gardens into his couture offerings.” 

Starting in Balmain’s garden, Rousteing began to grow his own produce favouring apples, cherries, and grapes – nodding to his hometown of Bordeaux (wine!) – and the latter appeared on beaded prints and as cute bedazzled earrings. Meanwhile, a chequered dress created for the modern Carmen Miranda burst into an entire fruit salad at the bosom.

Elsewhere, the collection was so-far-so-Balmain, leaning into the nipped waist, boxy shouldered silhouette that the house is famous for. What was notable though was the cast, which featured a sprinkling of older faces and even a (natural) silver mane or two. “Beauty has no age, beauty has no boundaries,” the designer shared on Instagram. We’ll take more of this next season, thanks! 

YOU COULD SEE RIGHT THROUGH SAINT LAURENT

Any prudes reading, cover your eyes quickly! This season at Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello was feeling meta, according to the show notes, “reminding us of what once was at the centre of fashion by rendering it invisible: clothes”. Not quite, the Emperor’s New Clothes, the collection did in fact featured looks – mostly crafted from delicate sheer in nudes and autumnal tones that left almost nothing to the imagination. 

Citing Marilyn Monroe’s ‘naked’ dress – “a frequent reference for the maison” – more modest looks were covered with shiny rubber outerwear and hulking fur chubbies that weren’t fur or even faux, but created entirely from soft marabou feathers. 

The see-through motif carried through into the accessories too, with stacked glass bangles and drop earrings hanging from the models’ ears – or were they really?

CECILIE BAHNSEN WENT BAD

If you were under the illusion that Cecilie Bahnsen was just prim and proper, this season the Danish designer proved that she can be bad too. Entitled The Bite, the romantic silhouettes that you’ll recognise from the brand were present, the first 13 looks an all-black funeral procession of ruffled silk dresses and dainty flower prints – created by artist Kiki Smith – that appeared on lace and outerwear. 

As the show progressed, the black turned to blue, with denim and fisherman knits briefly popping up before delicate white dresses, the Cecilie Bahnsen woman we know and love was back. Then, she was gone again, making way to earthy browns and delicate greys with hints of sparkling silver. Stomping in the latest iteration of the designer’s asics collaboration – this season, similarly adorned with blooming flowers – models moved to a remake of Robyn’s “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do”. Talk about good girl gone bad.

PETER DO GOT PERSONAL

Entitled Áo Dài, Peter Do’s AW24 was his most personal yet, paying tribute to his late grandmother who passed away a year and a half ago. Prompting him to return to Vietnam, he spent his time there reflecting on the values he learned from her and the collection’s title references the country’s national garment – a long split tunic worn over silk trousers that is worn by men and women.

The collection featured the designer’s signature layered aesthetic in muted colours – greys, navys, mauves, browns, as well as black and white – showcased via loose oversized shirts, cozy knits, and relaxed tailoring. Presented after his sophomore collection for Helmut Lang, Do shared that he wanted his eponymous label to remain personal – a space for exploring his roots without having to build a multi-million dollar brand.

VALENTINO WAS A BLACKOUT

The dark sister to the Pepto Bismol hues of AW22’s Pink PP collection, AW24 was an all-black affair. Entitled Le Noir, creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli reconsidered Valentino through the lens of the singular shade – exploring how it can be just as nuanced as the technicolour palettes the house is also known for. 

Leaning into different textures and materials, the collection was a bonanza of polka dots, ostrich feathers, and laser-cut flower appliqués, while sexy cutouts and sheer and lace blouses revealed the skin of the wearer underneath. Quiet luxury banished, everyday pieces were elevated – hoodies were paired with shimmering skirts and leather jackets sequinned, bursting into spiky fronds at the waist. 

Far from a funeral procession, the collection was a celebration of the universal appeal of black – with something for everyone. Day or night, casual or glam, prim or punk, Piccioli has it covered. 

JUNYA WATANABE GOT SCULPTURAL 

In typical brief fashion, the show notes for Junya Watanabe’s AW24 collection were a single line. “I want to express the beauty of the contrast between clothes and sculptures,” the designer shared. As the looks emerged this became clearer, with coats and dresses exploding out into giant triangular shapes or worn around the models’ necks like human scaffolding. As the show progressed, the sculptures became all-encompassing, with thick, black caging contrasting delicate floral prints. 

A mostly black palette, the collection featured punk elements – belting that was blown up to gargantuan proportions melted back into outerwear, denim and leather were slashed and stitched back together to create Frankensteinien skirts, and studs were plentiful. At a tumultuous time where we all want to be protected, Watanabe offers solace.

COPERNI WAS LIGHT YEARS AHEAD

What is a Coperni show without a mind-bending science experiment that feels like it’s beamed in from 3024? 

For AW24, its signature Swipe bag – previously crafted out of glass, metal, and a lump of meteorite – was this time created in collaboration with NASA, made from 1 per cent glass and 99 per cent air. Created from nanomaterial silica aerogel – used for collecting stardust – the ghostly translucent bag weighs in at a svelte 33g and can withstand extreme heat and pressure in case you’ve got any trips to Mars in the pipeline. 

The space theme continued throughout the collection, with designers Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant thinking about sci-fi. Jetting all over the solar system, shoes were star-shaped, ankle-skimming fur coats were tinged with hints of blue and green like an alien hide, and sleek tailoring and sheer space suits were appropriate for space travel. Elsewhere, silver elements appeared to nod to tinfoil hat conspiracists. Don’t be scared, the future is here!

ISSEY MIYAKE WENT BACK TO BASICS

Held in the Museum of Immigration History, Issey Miyake’s AW24 collection, What Has Always Been, was an exploration of covering the body in an era pre-dating garment-making. 

Utilising the brand’s signature pleated material, looks were crafted from draping, folding, and twisting the fabric around models, at times completely obscuring them under swathes of fabric. “A piece of clothing created in this manner transcends the notion of a garment,” the notes explained. “The final form of this creation is fluid and flexible, favouring the wearer.” 

When looks weren’t monochromatic, designer Satoshi Kondo played with prints of Japanese flowers and herbs and paired ombréd earthy greens with magenta. Elsewhere, waste yarns were sustainably used to create ribbed knits with elongated sleeves. A gang of wandering nomads, the finale procession looked like it led round the show space and out into the world.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD’S RENAISSANCE REDUX

“When I met Vivienne, I was totally smitten that she was into history just as much as I was,” said Andreas Kronthaler, in notes mailed out before the Vivienne Westwood show. “It was the first passion we shared.” With that connection in mind, Kronthaler approached this season’s clothes through the lens of his early work with Westwood, when the 1990s seasons were more directly influenced by historical dress. A visit to an exhibition of the 16th century artist ​​Giovanni Battista Moroni also informed Kronthaler’s vision for the show, with the designer praising the “austerity and elegance” of the painter’s output.

Named The Tailor after one of Moroni’s most famous works, the catwalk began with a performance by the experimental folk band Sons of Sissy, whose bird sounds and stomping soundtracked the rest of the show. Models emerged in codpiece-cum-jockstraps, which were layered over knitted tights and ballet flats. Ribboned doublets and draped tartan drove the historical theme home, while thigh-high leather boots ballooned at the calf, and  jackets with giant shoulder pads dwarfed their models. Those codpieces continued to pop up throughout, a classic Westwood tartan version showing up on Sam Smith for a much-memed, staff-carrying moment. After this, slashed frocks in yellow and snow emerged for a final lap, while Kristen McMenamy appeared in towering boots and a cut up shirt dress to close the show.

CHANEL’S BLOCKBUSTER MOMENT

At Paris Fashion Week, Chanel is always a blockbuster show, and this season Virginie Viard kicked off proceedings by screening an actual blockbuster film. As guests entered the Grand Palais Éphémère they were greeted by a monumental cinema screen at its centre, and on it played a short film starring Brad Pitt and Penélope Cruz. Inspired by Claude Lelouch’s 1966 film Un Homme et Une Femme, Pitt and Cruz cavort on the beach for a bit, drive around in their car, and also go out for dinner, where Rianne Van Rompaey makes a cameo as their waitress.

Lelouch’s classic was shot in Deauville, a seaside town on the northern coast of France, a town which formed the basis of Viard’s AW24 collection. Coco Chanel famously began her millinery empire here, so it holds symbolic significance to the maison, but it’s also a resort for the mega rich, so perfect for the Chanel woman. On the runway – made to look like the Deauville boardwalk – she emerged wearing big floppy beach hats with brims turned back, tailored check coats in classic Chanel tweed, and blue suede opera gloves that reached her elbow. From here, the tweed suits then became slouchier and more relaxed, before bird motifs adorned striped knit dresses, and a section of standout shearling coats came to steal the show. Despite the haughty inspiration, it was a truly effortless collection, and proof of why Karl Lagerfeld’s right-hand woman was the only one for the job after all.

MARINE SERRE’S BAZAAR SHOW

This season, Marine Serre took over a marketplace in the middle of Paris for a truly immersive show. Ground Control was the location, a former railway station turned cultural space that now houses a number of music shops, independent boutiques and global cuisine food stops. Described as a “multidisciplinary independent living space which occupies a unique place in the Parisian landscape,” guests gathered in the giant dining hall and ate Marine-branded hot drinks and food, while dry ice swept along the floor, adding to the bazaar-like atmosphere.

Marine Serre’s MO is all about getting people of diverse backgrounds – whether that be social, cultural, or even generational – to come together, and the melting-pot location reflected those values. When the runway began, “families” of looks emerged on the catwalk, the first dressed in black and white from head to toe. Sharp suits were shown alongside slouchy leather jackets, and thigh high boots paired with crisp white shirts. Next up was a crimson and fuschia family, decked out in puffball minidresses, cute little cardis, printed bomber jackets and patchwork frocks. Up until this point, it was Serre’s iconic crescent moons that were the main print adorning bodysuits, pencil skirts and even a baby carrier – that was, until, the next family emerged wearing trench coats, blazers and shirts slathered in faux snakeskin patterns.

ABRA’S NEW COLLECTION HAD BEAUTY IN ITS BLOOD

Days out from his Paris Fashion Week show, Abraham Ortuño Perez posted a picture of an extra-long make-up brush on Instagram, but bent round into a circular shape. More teasers arrived after this, mostly of a single red lipstick abandoned in various locations. No, this wasn’t Perez soft-launching Abra Cosmetics, but pieces from his upcoming AW24 collection, one with dozens of make-up motifs running through it. It turns out that beauty had run in the family, and this season the Spanish designer was inspired by “the spirit of nostalgia evoked by his aunt’s effortless style at work in the beauty salon.”

On the runway, the circular makeup brush found itself looped around models’ necks like a choker, while what looked like an eyeshadow palette was actually a clutch bag. Elsewhere, Perez kept it in the family, finding inspiration in his mother’s “unconventional-in-its-time wedding dress” and also “dresses made from balloons for his Barbie.” These ballon dresses came as poncho-style frocks in baby blue and leather, while boxy blazers and a fur-trimmed trench also hit the catwalks. A highlight, though, were the beauty motifs, reappearing as lipstick earrings that marked their model’s cheek, plus a printed dress with a make-up ad splashed across.

LOUIS VUITTON LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT

For his AW24 Louis Vuitton show, Nicolas Ghesquière headed to La Cour Carée, the main courtyard of the Louvre Palace, covering guests in a Philippe Parreno-designed greenhouse made especially for the show. Futuristic, exploded chandeliers lined the glass ceiling, their filaments flashing as house faves like Emma Stone, Sophie Turner, and Saoirse Ronan took their seats on the frow. Even by fashion week standards, an inordinate amount of celebs had turned up for Ghesquière’s latest show, but that was to be expected: this was his tenth anniversary after all.

At first, models hit the runway in faux-fur mittens that looked great for taking a hot tray out the oven, while other gloves also came suitably tasselled, as if the backs of hands had grown thick hair in navy and sand. And though there weren’t any actual trunks on the runway like Pharrell’s men’s show, Mica Argañaraz did show up wearing one, hitting the catwalk in a dress printed with an LV trunk pattern, its cuboid shape also taking cues from the iconic luggage.

Elsewhere on the catwalk, Ghesquière chimed in his ten years at the maison in truly elaborate fashion. Gold-foil jumpsuits were shown alongside sheer sequined dresses, while a section of embellished jackets came in kaleidoscopic colours and gilded stitch hems. In a heartfelt note handed out at the show, Ghesquière remembered his debut 10 years ago, and “the feeling of ‘beginning’, the immense joy I felt to be among you,” before adding that the “joy is still here.” This was written all over his face when he emerged to take his victory lap, met by rapturous applause and a standing ovation.