One word to describe this fashion month would be “easy”: Scheduling New York felt uncomplicated; London finally took steps to update, with guests toning down a bit of the playfulness for a more mature sartorial palette; Milan did what it always does, which is emphasize its tailoring and shape in ways that were easy to digest; and then there’s Paris, a city that tops them all, and this season was no exception.
Instead of sticking to one or two specific trends, much of what was presented over the course of nine days felt like top-tier presentations. Flowy tulle in a girl gaze world? Try Chloé. Prefer a straitjacket look? Dior had you covered, no pun intended. How about a feathered T-shirt or camouflage shorts? Jonathan Anderson’s creations at Loewe left jaws on the floor. Even Stella McCartney seemed in an impressively jovial mood backstage.
The streets were especially easygoing, which is interesting given the sharp increase in celebrity appearances during fashion weeks. Although the actress Anya Taylor-Joy was nearly mobbed at Dior, Nicole Kidman arrived at Balenciaga to an astonishingly polite and warm reception. The actor Rob Lowe — who transitioned to Ms. McCartney’s Monday morning show from an appearance at a Ralph Lauren soiree the night before — was ever so cool. Does this point to what fashion week could look like in the future? One thing’s for sure: When everything is chill, everyone is chill.
