What To Expect From PFW SS19

For the past few seasons the Gucci show has been one of the most hotly-anticipated spectacles. Mixing the bizarre with a millennial cool, the brand has recently taken the top spot in L2 Research’s Best Performing Luxury Brands. This SS19 collection, however, will be shown in Paris rather than Gucci’s typical Milan. Le Palace is Alessandro Michele’s stage of choice for the SS19 season – an infamous night club on the rue du Faubourg-Montmartre. According to the brand:

“The Théâtre Le Palace resonates with the vision of the house as it is a venue that gave life to a (sub)culture that has inspired young generations up until today,”

A fashion house with a rich history which has been successfully translated into a modern phenomenon, this Gucci show is guaranteed to be one the best on the fashion schedule.   

Slimane’s predecessor Phoebe Philo transformed the brand into an urban uniform for the modern woman, offering her a sleek aesthetic. However, with Slimane the designer behind the rebranded Saint Laurent, it waits to be seen if he will continue with this successful formula or branch out to a more rock and roll aesthetic. He is certainly attempting to ring in a new era of the design house with the altered iconography. With the show set to take place in a metal structure housed directly under the Hôtel des Invalides on Friday, only time will tell which way Celine will go next.

On Sunday 30th Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy will show her first co-ed ready-to-wear collection. Finally taking a cue from the current culture temperature, mens and womens will cohabit the stage. It will nevertheless surely continue with the carefully honed tailored aesthetic of the house under the stewardship of Waight Keller. She recently shot to global fame as the designer of the Duchess of Sussex’s bridal gown, becoming a household name on that royally wonderful day. The Duchess stunned in a boat neck simple design with a breathtaking veil embroidered with flowers from the 53 countries in the commonwealth. With this new vigor behind the brand it will be interesting to see Waight Keller’s inclusive collection this season. 

Each PFW, L’Oréal Paris stages a show with a compilation of designers from Balmain to Elie Saab and Giambasta Valli to highlight their most recent beauty collections. For this PFW SS19, however, the brand is set to increase the drama by staging the catwalk on a floating stage on the river Seine. In fact, it will even be stopping the boat traffic on the river for the duration of the show. Inevitably, there will be a star-studded event with past models including Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren. Fashion, beauty and the Seine, this collection is the epitome of Paris.

Always one for a collaboration, Virgil Abloh the chief executive officer of Off-White and artistic director for Louis Vuitton has now ventured into the world of homeware with his Ikea collection. Some of his more recent collaborations includes a tennis collection with Nike and Serena Williams, a fragrance for Byredo and a bottle for Moët & Chandon. Quite an incredible range, for PFW SS19 Virgil x Ikea will be staging a pop-up shop for a set of limited edition rugs that will be the first public insight into the 2019 collection. Of this Abloh stated that:

“These items are made in a limited number and together with the thinking behind each rug I believe they can become art pieces you put on the wall just as much as functional objects in a home.”

It will be a busy week then for Abloh as he is also set to show the SS19 Louis Vuitton collection, the last show on the official schedule. From high-street furniture to clothing, Abloh’s artistry knows no bounds.