By Nermin Ahmet
The first day of Paris haute Couture week had strong American vibe; front row occupied by American artists and celebrities like Kylie Kardashian at Schiaparelli, to Anna Wintour at Dior, where the entire theme of the collection was dedicated to Afro-American artist.
But aren't runway models supposed to take all the attention? That happened at Georges Hobeika's runway. A new era for the Maison Georges Hobeika began six months ago with the Fall 2022 Couture collection presented by Co-Creative Directors Georges and Jad Hobeika.
Maison Georges Hobeika spring-summer 2023 Haute Couture. All images courtesy of Georges Hobeika.
Half year fast forward for their second haute couture jointly signed collection the father and son unveil Spring-summer 2023 SMALL TALKS, features more than seventy looks, which are unique as the Maison’s savoir-faire and friends. Underlying this concept is the familial collaboration between Co-Creative Directors Georges and Jad Hobeika, and the powerful link with the house’s archives that date nearly three decades back in time.
Hobeikas latest collection reflects not only the Maison's values but the importance of the relationships and interactions between family and friends. To emphasise this, the show’s cast includes a number of real-life friends of the Maison, walking as couples and pairs in order to create the experience of a once-in-a-lifetime moment at Paris Fashion Week; to name a few: Leonie Hanne, Gabrielle Caunesil, Lorena Vergani, Jessica Kahawaty & her mom, Cynthia Samuel & Adam Bakri, Valentina, Ameni Esseibi, Diala Makki.
Georges Hobeika features again men’s couture, affirming its place as part of the house’s DNA and appeal to the contemporary generation of couture clients.
The silhouettes further reflect this sense of ease and modernity: dresses appear to float on the body, while a neckline inspired by Marie-Antoinette opts for the fresh twist of a jumpsuit shape. The ornate embroidery synonymous with the Maison’s heritage, creates magical "trompe-l’œil" effects; such as frosted water droplets, cascading diamond shapes and an ethereal burst of flowing feathers. Gold and silver chains and intricate thread embroidery evoke the links and webs between individuals. The striking colour palette features the essential yellows, pinks and blues alongside classic black and white, with plays on sheerness and contrasts.
Each item in the collection is a meticulously intricate homage to the unique treasures of the Maison, translated into amazing suits and dresses by the Mains Précieuses seamstresses in the House's Beirut Atelier. Exceptional maturity, unrestricted imagination, and reverence for the illustrious Maison Georges Hobeika combined with couture savoir-faire.
The couture collection recognizes that there is no "one size fits all" ideal of beauty, silhouette, or sex, while remaining faithful to the Maison's aesthetics. The season's palette flushes from Mediterranean blues to sunset tones of peachy orange, yellow, fuchsia, and pink, the Maison's signature color combination, and here too, combined with feathers and jewel-like sculptural formations of stones and crystal appliqués.
Dior continues to celebrate women leaders
Dior haute couture show takes place just days before Dior Couture gets a new CEO, its first female CEO, Delphine Arnault, who will take over from February's Dior Couture is already since John Galliano's departure, led by very much loved Maria Grazia Chiuri, who not only re-steers Dior towards more Italian and architectural aesthetics which characterised Dior during its Gianfranco Ferré era, but she is also the very first female Creative Director for Dior.
And Chiuri does not pass on this opportunity to explore the complex imagination of a garment built for a female body. Bringing together references from the Maison’s archive as well as integrating the bright energy of the artist, Joséphine Baker, Dior is again highlighting the importance of human touch, attention to detail, and traditional savoir-faire that stands out in an increasingly virtual world.
Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2023. Satin robes created a déshabillé-habillé look. All runway images courtesy of Dior.
Chiuri honors the image of Joséphine Baker—activist for the civil rights of Afro-Americans, humanist, and universal benefactor—in 60 haute couture looks. But not only that, contemporary artist Mickalene Thomas was invited to design the setting of the Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2023 défilé, with her inspiration being "Black female role models that broke racial barriers by going against the grain and creating a new platform for others."
As the défilé began, each look was strong, as if projecting not only Baker's style and artistic force but also the strength of the heterogeneous, eclectic group of thirteen phenomenal black women, depicted as giant portraits and elaborated with embroidery conceived by the Chanakya ateliers and Chanakya School of Craft across a printed textile base on the walls.
Dior's Spring-Summer 2023 collection is guided by Joséphine Baker, an African-American singer and dancer who arrived from the United States in the mid-1920s in cosmopolitan Paris, a dream destination for artists. Iconic and glamorous, she embodies the modernity of those years, going beyond stereotypes and prejudices.
The défilé recreates Baker's life as an artist and the rituals, like the dressing room's inspiration looks: a series of coats reminiscent of the bathrobe that hides and protects. Bar jackets and long coats may seem rather warm for the summer collection, but they pay homage to the masculine fabrics dear to Monsieur Dior. And while they are suggested only over light fabrics, like crumpled and dynamic velvet or quilted, or even light underwear, the real protagonists are satins that decline in powdery colors up to black, which are the contemporary interpretation of the outfits of the 1950s.
The clothes slide over the body and caress it. There is a syncopated rhythm in silk and velvet, often with a crumpled effect, that adds vitality to the fabric. Dior's embroidery is fine for the grand stage, evening and cocktail dresses. Well-structured black and white daywear looks are mixed with silver and gold suits but predominantly saved for eveningwear.
The staging of the defile, thought up by the African-American artist Mickalene Thomas, celebrates black or mixed-race female personalities, such as Josephine Baker, who have become powerful symbols by breaking down racial barriers and advancing against the tide. It reveals the deep meaning of this collection and overturns the vision of haute couture, the essence of fashion, which can become a radical gesture of awareness of one's own value and strength.
"These women have broken many barriers in television, film, fashion, and social activism. It is because of their determination and sacrifices that I am able to make this work and be the artist I am today," says Mickalene Thomas.
Maison Rabih Kayrouz's embracing couture
Maison Rabih Kayrouz presents the spring-summer couture collection on the first day of Haute Couture Fashion Week, in the intimate settings of a Paris apartment. Intimacy is the keyword here, but not in an erotic sense; rather, he designs for a woman in love, and his looks seek to encompass this feeling and the intimacy of the private sphere. Rabih Kayrouz proposes a clever way to protect our privacy with oversize and comfortable vests and long capes. Clarifying this in the show notes, Kayrouz has written a poem that opens with the lyrics, "I see you draped in a coat, I see you protected, I see you embraced by your vest.“ It seems that the design was deeply inspired by the poetry of Parisian boulevards and outdoor life now, when we are finally allowed to meet in close proximity within our intime sphere.
All images courtesy of maisonrabihkayrouz.com
Couture coats are the next summer's trend, and were featured on several runways during the opening day of the fashion calender, and some coats looked rather warm. Rabih re-steers him towards the perfection of couture and savoir-faire. Herein lies the beauty of haute couture in that a 3/4-length coat can be perfectly wearable in summer if it is made of the right material and well cut. And his atelier's cutting techniques are impeccable. Showcasing well-tailored, clean clothes with a lot of emphasis on the cut and colors, Rabih refrains from the dazzle and sparkling sequins. As the designer explores the complex imagination of a garment built for a woman in love, he adds something perhaps more eye-catching: the energy of strong colors like burgundy and indigo, sometimes in a monotone look and sometimes well paired. The collection's colour palette not only highlights the couture craftsmanship and the great work and time spent in creating each item but also prolongs the wearability of these looks into the late fall.
Maison Celestino
In the spectacular setting of the Pavillon Étoile Presbourg, Maison Celestino makes a lavish comeback on the Parisian runways of haute couture.
The new S/S 2023 Couture Collection from Maison Celestino, which is fully inspired by the feminine essence and elegance embodied in the alluring and enduring figure of Sibilla Aleramo, was unveiled on Monday, January 23. Maison Celestino returns to Paris, the city that welcomed Sibilla Aleramo at the turn of the century, providing her with motivation and strength for her historic battles.
By tracing its stylistic path back to the pulsating soul of the cultural and literary experiences of the early twentieth century, theater for women of significant social achievements, and the affirmation of the values of freedom, the historic fashion house recreates the brand's beginnings in this collection.
A collection titled "Sibilla" is well executed to enhance feminine sensuality with austere lines, sinuous skirts, shirts, and revisited tops, handmade with the historic frames of the Maison, features twenty-four dresses with a distinctive style, expressed with a fascinating accent and asymmetrical embellishments.
The colors range from warm hues reminiscent of Mediterranean landscapes in vibrant tones, from green to purple, from yellow to ocher, with supporting roles for beige and gold. However, the natural nuances of the materials and their meticulous craftsmanship take center stage in true Celestine flair.
The look of the models are entrusted to the hair stylist Giuseppe Scaramuzzo, the artistic direction of the event to Giovanni Scura.
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