DUBAI: An artist-inspired show from Schiaparelli opened Paris haute couture week Monday, with Jordanian Romanian footwear designer Amina Muaddi in the well-heeled crowd.
The show eased fears that fashion shows would have to be cancelled due to five nights of rioting across France, AFP reported.
But with violence ebbing around the French capital over the weekend, the fashion federation said it did not expect disruption to couture week, which celebrates the most expensive, tailor-made end of the industry.
Before a crowd including rapper Cardi B, Vogue editor Anna Wintour and actress Gwendoline Christie, Schiaparelli got things rolling with what it described as "a Surrealist's interpretation of a woman's essential closet,” according to AFP.
One of the designs was created by hand-painting a woman's body in the style of artist Lucian Freud and then transferring it to a silk body stocking.
A cardigan and skirt made from broken mirror pieces was inspired by sculptor Jack Whitten, and there were nods to Sarah Lucas, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali — borrowing the vibrant colours of his distorted sunrise paintings.
Farida Khelfa attends the Schiaparelli Haute couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 3, 2023 in Paris, France. (Getty Images)
The brand's designer Daniel Roseberry has overseen a revamp at the long-standing brand, and caused a media sensation at its last show with fake animal heads sported by the likes of Kylie Jenner.
Monday will also see the Christian Dior show and US designer Thom Browne's first as part of couture week.
Another debutant is 26-year-old Charles de Vilmorin, who will present for his own brand after a short-lived tenure as artistic director of Rochas. "I'm super happy to have lived through all this and to do my first show," the Frenchman told AFP.
Meanwhile, Saudi couturier Mohammad Ashi is set to become the first Gulf designer to show as part of the official couture roster with his eponymous label.
There have been multiple events across the menswear and couture weeks to introduce newcomers from the kingdom, including a cocktail soiree at the Ritz hotel on Monday.
Ashi has been a favourite of celebrities for a while, dressing the likes of Queen Rania of Jordan, Penelope Cruz and star of the new Indiana Jones movie, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who wore one of his creations to the London premiere last week.
“This appointment is the highlight of my career,” Ashi said in a statement posted on Instagram when the announcement was made in June. “I will honor it in the memory of the great couturiers who came before me and whom I now join in the pursuit of this grand tradition of excellence in creativity and savoir-faire.”
