Monday of Paris Fashion Week: Miu Miu, Coperni and Thom Browne

As Paris prepared for Chanel’s debut, three talented designers drew a lot of attention: Miuccia Prada with her apron at Miu Miu; Coperni with regenerative elegance and Thom Browne for a strange moment in Karl Lagerfeld’s former mansion.

Miu Miu: Class struggle through the apron

Let Miuccia Prada catch everyone off guard at Miu Miu. In a season dedicated to displays of opulence, it celebrated women and their work.

The parade’s key item of clothing, the apron, comes in dozens of variations. Cut them into backless dresses with tea towel bras or skimpy tank tops; or cover the item with thumbtacks and mini mirrors. Reducing them to carpenter’s aprons, like industrial cummerbunds.
And starting with rough cotton aprons worn over miners’ donkey jackets or distressed leather jackets (a must-have Miu Miu classic) paired with thick pants and sturdy boots. Factory fashion.

Varying the mood from housewife to maid, with floral double-breasted coats or house dresses, made in pretty prairie flower prints.
In a mixed show, actor Richard E. Grant paraded in workman’s pants, a cable-knit sweater and a leather apron like a dapper foreman at an automobile plant. Other guys showed up in ruffled aprons and worn leather dresses that looked like they came from the back seat of an old Ford Zephyr.

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While the cast’s hair was all curly, shiny, even harried, and taken from photographs of 1950s housewives in little floral aprons.
“Aprons are deeply rooted in our history. An apron says that you are working, which is already a good thing. The apron is my favorite piece of clothing in general. It contains the difficult life and pain of women in history, from the factory to the home. In fashion, we talk too much about glamor and rich people. But we must recognize that for most people life is very different and difficult. It was time to address this,” said Miuccia, surrounded by about twenty editors with mobile phones.
A hint of class struggle everywhere. The guests sat at tables, like in a factory canteen. Although with a good dose of sass: housewives with semi-transparent aprons reveal lingerie better. Until reaching a completely black series made of transparent lace. Playing Luis Buñuel’s “Diary of a Waitress”, where Jeanne Moreau takes revenge on a provincial murderer in this classic satirical and anti-bourgeois film.
“I put all my passion into this show and I was very scared. But it seems to have turned out well!” She smiled, evidently pleased with his sass and his unique ability to overcome the risks of the track.
Plus, after her stellar Prada show, a reminder that Miuccia Prada remains the most influential fashion designer today.

Coperni: Regenerative fashion rules, okay?

Coperni starred in another first fashion Monday at lunchtime in Paris, presenting a collection based on garments that nourish the skin.

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Based on the concept of regenerative fashion, a capsule of three looks was made from stretch fabrics containing prebiotics and probiotics, a 100% bio-based matrix that truly repairs and helps the skin.
Created with HeiQ skincare, the leggings, tops and tanks in this capsule are called Coperni C+ and form the basis of a fresh and precise collection presented within the Center Pompidou.
Coperni designers Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant are famous for their theatrical displays, from spray-painting Bella Hadid live to featuring robotic dogs. This season they focused on the idea that “fashion should also nourish women,” a visibly moved Meyer explained backstage.
In addition to their regenerative garments, they showed thin technical jackets with priestly collars; reverse windbreakers in cocoon miniskirts; and some perfectly cut men’s jackets paired with shorts. The models wore a trio of fantastic rawhide biker jackets that were, in fact, made from mushroom leather. And some stunning new long skirts with double front zippers, revealing plenty of leg.

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The cast ran at full speed around the circular stage, their feet covered in “sticky socks,” large new sandals that seemed to have grown biomorphically on the cast’s feet.
The accessories also played with the idea of ​​well-being, with amulets, earrings, pendants and even a bag, made of jade or lapis lazuli. Most wore ergonomic belts and cell phone holders, adding to the feeling of busy professional girls on their way to the gym or work. Highlighted by the soundtrack: Kate Bush powerfully singing “This Woman’s Work.”
The cast, with their hair slicked back and then twisted into small spikes, clearly loved the clothes, which made sense as they looked polished, chic, sporty, and often beautiful.
An excellent collection and a healthy lesson in the benefits of self-publishing and fashion discipline.

Thom Browne: aliens in Karl’s old mansion

The aliens are coming, the aliens are coming, and they’ve landed at Karl Lagerfeld’s mansion and taken a major beating from Thom Browne.

The theme song “Close Encounters of a Third Kind” opened this show, the Dr. Who theme ended it. The first model appeared with a green alien head. He was wearing one of Thom’s classic gray flannel suits, except that he had grown six sleeves and as many legs.
The foundation of Browne’s aesthetic is the retro gray corporate suit. But to hell with it, he gets a lot of mileage out of it. This season he cut some beautiful mini jackets in all kinds of fabrics, which he clearly developed himself with real love. Gradient sapphire tweed; mint green cotton stripes; Pale gray seersucker.

It played up its classic four-wide stripe logo with gusto. Turning what looked like knee-high socks and boxing boots into fantastic new suede boots. And he still loves the cricket theme, with some fine county cricket jackets and beautiful intarsia jumpers.
Since each model carried small LED panels that emitted its appearance number, Browne went into overdrive. Layering with abandon: white shirt, club tie, small jacket, coat or varsity jacket, all in one look.
Too much is never too much in the world of Thom Browne, who enjoyed loud applause at the end. Before their guests left, they encountered two “Twilight Zone” models sitting on a podium in the 17th century courtyard, guarded by three aliens.
Karl, one suspects, would have loved that image too.