Runway Report: Paris Fashion Week Autumn 2023 Day 1 Recap

All fired up: from Saint Laurent’s chandelier lined runway to Heliot Emil’s model set on fire, the first day of Paris Fashion Week raised a furore. Keep reading to discover more and make sure to check out our picks from Milan Fashion Week day 5 here.

Here are our picks of the most memorable shows from Paris Fashion Week Day 1:

Saint Laurent

Gleaming gold candle lit chandeliers lined the runway for the Saint Laurent autumn ’23 show – the location was inspired by the ballroom of the intercontinental Paris hotel where the founding genius used to show his couture collections. “I really wanted to bring back the idea of being ‘dressed’ ” said Anthony Vaccarello of his return-to-elegance collection where 80’s inspired silhouettes were wildly exaggerated at the shoulders and paired with skin-tight cigarette pants or pencil skirts. Blanket scarves and pussy bow blouses both featured flowing trains and every model sported a pair of sunglasses – a definite lesson in elegant power dressing.

Christian Dior

Maria Grazia Chiuri has been reflecting on the devasting situation in Ukraine and consequentially looking back to the last time war broke out in Europe. For autumn ’23 she was inspired by the resilience of the women of post-war Paris in the 1950’s – namely – Edith Piaf, Catherine Dior and Juliette Greco. There was no cause for celebration in this sombre collection that looked to evoke the femininity and rebelliousness of the women of this time. No-nonsense navy skirts formed the cornerstones of this collection, floral dresses were paired with leather gloves and the famed “new look” silhouette was now updated in crushed silk lending a more lightweight feel.

Heliot Emil

Something is burning at Heliot Emil – literally, halfway through the show a model set on fire marched down the catwalk. Instagram gimmicks aside – for their third collection at Paris Fashion Week relative newcomers Julius and Victor Jul of Heliot Emil looked to British Sculptor Henry Moore for inspiration. Presenting their aesthetic of “Industrial Elegance” in a concrete warehouse setting, the sporty-futuristic collection was formed of sharp silhouettes and stand out asymmetric zips all in a black and grey colour palette.