The Biggest Takeaways from Haute Couture Fall 2018

The Fall 2018 couture shows have officially wrapped up. All the editors, models, and celebrities who are not Paris-based are on planes headed back home, and the rest of us have been left with a lot of pictures to look through.

You thought you could catch up over the holiday this week, but then before you knew it, it was 9 pm and the fireworks were starting. Suddenly it was Thursday morning, and you’re back at work without having looked at a single thing Guo Pei sent down the runway. So now you have fashion FOMO (as you rightfully should, because Guo Pei’s collection was amazing). We’re here to help. Below are the biggest takeaways from this season to help you sort through it all, and catch you up to speed:

One of the biggest surprises were the voluminous capes and ball gowns that paraded down the runway. Though there were still plenty of column dresses, it really seems like designers were embracing a “more is more” vibe, especially Giambatista Valli and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Valentino collections, which utilized large swaths of fabric.

Designers also weren’t shy about color, opting for some bold choices—hot pink among them. Sure, one expects to see hot (or “shocking”) pink on the runway for Schiaparelli. It might actually be sacrilegious for it to be omitted. Anyway, the hue was a fun surprise on the catwalks of Ronald van der Kemp, Margiela, and Armani, among others. Armani actually had a voluminous, hot-pink feather look, hitting the major trends like the world’s most fashionable hat trick.

But the biggest standout pieces were all of the elaborate headwear that dotted the collections, each so unique and flamboyant that simply combing them as “hats” in the trends section doesn’t seem to do them justice. Bertrand Guyon made sure his collection for Schiaparelli was true to the house’s surrealist roots by including animal masks (like flamingos, a cat, and a butterfly), Ronald van der Kemp has some elaborate fascinators, Iris van Herpen wowed everyone with headgear that multiplied the model’s face, and Valentino doubled down on the headwear that made Francis McDormand the best-dressed at this year’s Met Gala, with some over-the-top flower balls.

Model watchers had a pretty quiet couture week, with no major casting surprises. That being said, Kaia Gerber grabbed some attention with some big hair at Valentino, designer-favourite Anna Cleveland made multiple appearances, and Adut Akech made history closing Chanel’s show in Lagerfeld’s bridal wear. It is a particularly big deal as the Chanel “bride” spot is reserved for Lagerfeld’s favorite models (so it’s kind of haute couture’s highest model honor), and Akech is only the second black model to ever close a Chanel couture show. Suffice to say, keep an eye on the 19-year-old, as she clearly has an impressive career ahead of her.

Sometimes there is a bigger story behind a collection than just what is shown on the catwalk. For example, Viktor & Rolf fans surely recognized much of what came down the runway, as the duo decided to celebrate their 25th anniversary by showing 25 pieces (re-issued in all white) that showcased their oeuvre. Seeing the looks all together was not only a reminder of how inventive they are but also that off-the-wall ideas are often the most timeless.

Meanwhile Julie de Libran presented a Sonia Rykiel couture collection for the first time in the brand’s history. It’s kind of a big deal considering that when Rykiel founded the line 50 years ago, it was among the first to counter haute couture’s hold on “chic”. Luxury ready-to-wear, and the freedom of the fashion industry as we know it today was able to rise thanks to designers like Rykiel. With that in mind, it’s arguably funny to honor her with a couture collection, but considering the same-ness we’ve been subjected to by fast-fashion giants, we think she would have loved the creative expression shown through what couture is today.