Designers from Schiaparelli to Azzaro kicked off Haute Couture Week yesterday. Each designer’s collection reimagined evening wear in a mystifying and futuristic fashion. Ball gowns were soaked in sequins and traditional accessory shapes were replaced with golden heads and spaceships. The designers set the stage for an eccentric and exciting week of fashion to come.

Schiaparelli

A chapel-style setting complete with flaunting figures of angels dancing along the ceiling was the perfect precursor to Schiaparelli’s surrealist Spring 2022 Couture Collection. Sticking to the outlandish style that Schiaparelli has been praised for since its establishment in the 1930s, Daniel Rosebury- the designer of the collection- said he looked to galaxies far away for inspiration, even deeming the collection ‘Planet Schiaparelli’. The gold metal heads for handbags and the futuristic spaceship-style earrings were reminiscent of recent Sci-Fi cinema, such as Denis Villeneuve’s Dune.

While the entire show was equally exuberant and eccentric, there was one medusa-style attire that had everyone talking. The outfit looked as though it came straight from a Sci-Fi movie, as it created the illusion that the model was growing luxurious gold tree branches, encrusted in colourful gemstones, from her body.

The futuristic allure of the show wasn’t exclusive to the runway, however. As the show’s front row guest, Kanye West, understood Schiaparelli’s memo of mystery as he hid behind an all-black mask hiding his face entirely.

Dior

Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s current creative director, made the beauty of human creation and connection the message behind her Haute Couture SS22 collection. The hand-embroidered sequined tights, waistcoats and gowns worn by models from Chloe Oh to Rachel Marx were made to represent the teamwork behind the carefully detailed garments.

Dior’s eveningwear collection saw glamorous black ball gowns perfect for a modern princess. But, not only was Dior’s collection fit for royalty, it was witnessed by royalty, as Lady Amelia Windsor and Beatrice Borromeo sat along the front row of Dior’s Haute Couture show beside fashion royalty Cara Delevinge.

Chiuri’s ode to human creation and togetherness didn’t stop at her garments. The models who walked the show were illuminated by the colourful artwork surrounding them in the show’s setting of a reinvented gallery, showcasing works by Madhvi and Manu Parekh. Demonstrating the amazement of human ability and creation in all of its forms.

Azzaro

Opening Azzaro’s live stream show, both male and female models such as America Gonzalez and Jules Baco emerged from a curious outdoor setting where trees were replaced with white bollards and a paved runway slithered between uncut grass.

The mysterious setting complimented designer Olivier Theysken’s mystifying collection, which saw evening wear like suits and gowns reimagined in liquid silver silk and dripping in sequins. The designer admitted his love for all things shiny and his Haute Couture SS22 show was the epitome of this love.

Ulyana Sergeenko

It may be the 2020s, but the 1920s have made a return in Russian designer Ulyana Sergeenko’s Spring 2022 Couture Collection. With flapper dresses dazzling in sequined art-deco and feather embellishments. The collection was copied and pasted from Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby.

The digital show setting saw models illuminated by a single spotlight against a cherry red catwalk, as the show began with a model blowing a whistle to signify the show’s commencement. Sergeenko ensured a fun and playful start to the year with models peering behind the curtain showcasing sequined headpieces, encapsulating the playful energy of the 1920s.

Words By Olivia Booth

_{Photo Credit : Schiaparelli & Fillipo Fior}