Spring 2024 So Far
The Spring 2024 runway shows are finishing up in Paris this upcoming Tuesday, and we have seen a season full of witches, snakes, ultra-long sleeves, ultra mini (à la Gucci) and baby doll dresses, fringe, and cropped blazers. And this is in addition to my trend call outs last month, which have been all over the runways – new ideas for workwear, layers, transparency, coastal athleisure, brutalist jewelry, and oversized, low-rise jeans. If you are still catching up on the shows or are just interested to see what fashion designers are up to for next spring, here is a roundup of eight shows that I thought were standouts and why:
1. Ashlyn – Ashlynn Park showed a poetic, tightly edited Spring collection that riffed on the peplum, from cropped blouses with rows of ruffled hems (look 6) to tailored jackets that fell in gentle waves around the hips (look 13). Her liquid jersey ensembles allowed her to layer skirts over pants without bulk. A beautiful show.
2. Altuzarra – A study in contrasts through delicately beaded feminine skirts and slip dresses paired with tailored jackets and coats. The best looks had a slightly undone or imperfect quality. Details like a cape back on a satin coat, a jacket with a flared skirt, or a bubble-hem strapless dress gave a nod to the couture trend some designers have been exploring.
3. Richard Quinn – Quinn’s collection was a gorgeous ode to old couture. The beaded, lace and duchesse satin bell-shape skirts, gowns with ruffled overskirts, opera coats, and statement column gowns made this show a standout in both craftsmanship and vision.
4. Jil Sander – Always modern with interesting details, designers Lucie and Luke Meier showed a collection ranging from drop waist dresses and sleek takes on the peplum to generous boxy jackets and sailor tops layered over knee-length shorts. The extensive tailored outerwear and a maxi python coat (look 33) were highlights.
5. Del Core – Sculptural, elongated silhouettes in a dreamy palette of pale grey, black, yellow, lavender, and brick red. Del Core looked to nature this season, as established by the opening suit featuring a jacket with an orchid-shaped torso. Otherwise, his clean tailored jackets and tops had slashed shoulders, while fluid dresses featured “blown-up exotic florals as if seen through sliced glass” (Vogue).
6. Sharon Wauchob – Another beautiful and grown-up collection presented by a veteran designer. Daytime saw Wauchob’s chic take on fluid pajama separates – sometimes with a well-tailored jacket layered on top – while for evening the designer layered organza over a mini slip dress or beaded lace with seed pearls. Feathers embellished everything from a jacket’s sleeves to a lovely column gown.
7. Mame Kurogouchi – Kurogouchi’s gorgeous color sensibility and subtle draping and twisting details made this quiet, almost ceremonial collection sing. Two billowy dresses opened the show, which then evolved into satin and sheer lame jersey separates, sometimes worn together. Leather and denim gave this collection just enough of an edge.
8. Undercover – A deeply personal show from Jun Takahashi that put his tailoring skills on full display. Jackets and pants were veiled in sheer fabric or georgette, allowing their inner construction to show through. Color entered the show through print reproductions of Takahashi’s own oil paintings or those by German artist Neo Rauch, all of which had a surrealist vibe. The show ended with a series of “terrarium” dresses with encased flower gardens - one even had a live butterfly - inside glowing, bell-shaped skirts (the butterfly was set free post-show). Add in the all of the sheer fly-away panels attached to the back of jackets and coats or surrounding skirts and trousers, and this collection felt like a dream-like elegy in motion.
Photo courtesy of Gucci
