Haute Couture Fall 2024

As Haute Couture week breezed by (June 24th through 27th), the looming Paris Olympics seemed to be on everyone's minds. Some designers, namely Thom Browne and Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior, incorporated Olympic-inspired themes into their collections, like sporty looks at Browne and nods to ancient Greece at Dior. However, most designers resisted the urge to directly reference the most highly anticipated sports and cultural event of the summer.

What couturiers did deliver were collections that exuded mystery, romance and drama. The 1980’s were a clear influence, from the monochromatic color palettes to the voluminous sleeves and sculptural shapes. What felt more modern were the explorations of minimalism by Aelis, Natan and Peet Dullaert.

What also felt fresh this season was the overall rigorous editing of collections. Even designers known for their enthusiastic use of surface embellishment restrained themselves this season, opting for strategically placed beadings and embroideries or monochromatic tones. Only Giorgio Armani, the oldest couturier working today, delivered 89 looks, but every single one displayed his virtuosity by showing how a veteran designer can endlessly riff on a single topic (the iridescence of pearls).

With all of that in mind, here are my top trends of the Fall 2024 haute couture season. Plan on seeing more of these trends in September as we go into the Spring 2025 shows.

Capes

Could it be the mesmerizing shots of Timothée Chalamet, standing on a sand dune with his cape billowing in the wind from Dune II that had an impact on designers this season? It's hard to say. But capes certainly added a dramatic flair to couture runways. From caplets paired with elegant evening skirts to Chanel’s opening look – a taffeta cape with velvet neck ruff and an air of 18th century romance - and even Alexis Mabille’s more minimalist, almost superhero interpretation in silver metallic, the cape is undoubtedly the must-have piece for next season. As Seen At: Imane Ayissi, Thom Browne, Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda, Gaurav Gupta, Homolog, Alexis Mabille, Zuhair Murad, Yuima Nakazato, Stephane Rolland, Ellie Saab, Schiaparelli, and Giambattista Valli.

Curvature

Designers incorporated curved and circular shapes into their designs, suggesting the curves of the female form. There were panniers at Thom Browne, cocoon coats at Ashi Studio, and skirts cut into curvaceous shapes at Antonio Grimaldi. As Seen At: Ardazaei, Ashi Studio, Thom Browne, Antonio Grimaldi, Rahul Mishra, Zuhair Murad, Schiaparelli, and Viktor & Rolf.

3-D Flowers

Designers were clearly inspired by the allure of flowers this season, as floral accents were used as embellishment in almost every collection. Lush clusters of blooms adorned bodices and cascaded down off-the-shoulder gowns at Gambattista Valli, while delicate petals trailed over skirts at Ellie Saab. As Seen At: Ardazaei, Imane Ayissi, Chanel, Julie de Libran, Charles de Vilmorin, Zuhair Murad, Tamara Ralph, Elie Saab, Schiaparelli, and Giambattista Valli.

Textural Focus

Texture was a runway focal point, whether achieved through intricate woven fabrics or bold, statement-making finishes. Houses, including Chanel, and couturiers like Julie de Libran, showcased their expertise in creating luxurious tweeds and rich silk brocades. Other explorations in textured materials included shaggy coats at Balenciaga and Schiaparelli, artfully deconstructed jackets at Thom Browne and Yuima Nakazato, and layers of ruffles on capes at Homolog. Designers also employed textured embellishments, like spikes (Schiaparelli), braids (Ellie Saab), pearl encrustation (Zuhair Murad), beaded fringe (Ashi Studio, Dior, and Alexis Mabille), and plumes (Stephane Rolland and Armani Privé). One standout look was a black column gown and cape beaded to look like fallen snow at Robert Wun. As Seen At: Aelis, Ardazaei, Armani Privé, Ashi Studio, Imane Ayissi, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda, Peet Dullaert, Homolog, Yuima Nakazato, Natan, Tamara Ralph, Stephane Rolland, and Robert Wun.

Boudoir Dressing

While the trend of dressing up in bedroom-inspired outfits remains popular, haute couture has shifted the focus from simple Ready-to-Wear pieces like bra tops and mini dresses to glamorous sheer gowns adorned with intricate details and traditional corsetry techniques. Beaded, sheer mesh gowns and overlays were also prevalent. As Seen At: Armani Privé, Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda, Peet Dullaert, Gaurav Gupta, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexis Mabille, Rahul Mishra, Ellie Saab, Giambattista Valli, Iris Van Herpen, and Robert Wun.

Dramatic sleeves at Lena Erziak Haute Couture Collection Automne / Hiver 2024 2025, photo courtesy of Lena Erziak

Dramatic Sleeves

Maximalist sleeves contributed to this season’s high impact looks. They came oversized at the shoulder and full through the arm, sinuous and elongated past the wrist, curved croissant-style around the elbow, exploding from the shoulder in tufts of tulle, or heavily encrusted and beaded at the shoulder, like a haute couture version of a military epaulette. As Seen At: Armani Privé, Ashi Studio, Imane Ayissi, Balenciaga, Thom Browne, Chanel, Julie de Libran, Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda, Peet Dullaert, Jean Paul Gaultier, Homolog, Lena Erziak, Alexis Mabille, Rahul Mishra, Yuima Nakazato, Natan, Stephan Rolland, Schiaparelli, Giambattista Valli, Viktor & Rolf, Robert Wun.

Sculptural Shapes

Designers played with the concept of using fabric as a sculptural element, such as creating pieces that appeared to peel away from the body. A favorite technique was to frame the face through asymmetrical shapes (Natan) or dramatically oversized collars that elegantly swept around the head (Gaurav Gupta). Of course, leave it to the masters of the absurd, Viktor & Rolf, to push the boundaries of sculptural construction with their exaggerated geometric shapes molded onto the human body. As Seen At: Ardazaei, Lena, Erziak, Antonio Grimaldi, Gaurav Gupta, Alexis Mabille, Natan, Stephane Rolland, Schiaparelli, Iris Van Herpen, and Viktor and Rolf.

Face Veils & Hoods

An unexpected addition to this season’s couture looks were face veils and hoods. Schiaparelli’s take was a sheer piece of fabric elegantly draped around the face and neatly tied at the back of the head. Meanwhile, Dior’s modern twist on the ancient Greek peplos incorporated a draped himation that could also cover the head. As Seen At: Dior, Lena, Erziak, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexis Mabille, Stephane Rolland, Schiaparelli, Giambattista Valli, Robert Wun.