Was This the Best Couture Week Ever?

Alaïa, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino and more have us thinking it just might be…

It takes a lot to make a room full of fashion editors giddy, but that’s exactly what happened when the FASHION team got together at our weekly production meeting and started discussing Paris Couture Week 2024. “Could you believe Alaïa?!” cried one of our directors. “What about Simone Rocha at Jean Paul Gaultier!” countered another. “Was this the best couture week ever?” asked editor-in-chief Bernadette Morra. And unequivocally, we all agreed it was — or, at least, the best in the last few years.

You see, couture is rarely quiet. While the origins of these luxurious collections are rooted in craftsmanship, quality, and attention to detail, they’ve recently become a bit of a shouting match. Why use one sparkle when thousands will suffice? Whose dress has the widest circumference? What look can get the most likes on Instagram? You get the idea.

But this Spring 2024 season has designers returning to a (excuse the overused phrase) quiet luxury of sorts. That’s not to say it was without its theatrics, opulence, and, yes, sparkle; just that dressmaking and sewing prowess got more of the spotlight.

Take Alaïa, whose less is more approach to red carpet-ready gowns was a masterclass of refined taste. Creative director Pieter Mulier used only merino wool yarn and challenged himself to produce 43 very different looks. The result was a profound study of “the curve” and deserves to be seen on every A-list star for the rest of this awards season (hint, hint, Law Roach!).

Jean Paul Gaultier found similar success under the direction of Simone Rocha. Beautifully blending her dreamy aesthetic with iconic emblems of the Gaultier brand, Rocha created a collection unmistakably her own but showed depth and versatility well beyond her years in the industry.

And then there was Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino, who continues to prove why he is, and forever will be, couture’s Lord and Saviour. He presented an effortlessly elegant and colourful offering that, on the surface, looks simple to produce, but that is actually technical wizardry — ask anyone who’s ever sewn a seam. Florence Pugh will undoubtedly have difficulty choosing only one to wear on her next press tour.

And we haven’t even gotten to Schiaparelli, Chanel, Dior and more! See for yourself below as we’ve rounded up some of our favourite looks from Paris Couture Week 2024.