PARIS FASHION WEEK SPRING/SUMMER 2027: DAY 1
JULIE KEGELS
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images courtesy of JULIE KEGELS
An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but it most certainly won’t work on Julie Kegels. Fresh off winning the LVMH Prize and pocketing a whopping €400,000, the Belgian rising designer opened Paris Fashion Week with expectations — and pressure — suddenly weighing a little heavier.
Kegels, who admitted eating an apple before bed to calm herself down, sent the fruit as her show invitation, and from there, the Newtonian connection practically writes itself. Gravity became the collection’s central force, with clothes appearing to fall, slip and be pulled towards the ground.
Crotches dropped almost to the knees, trousers appeared half-undone and dresses separated into tops and skirts connected by barely-there bodily bodysuits. Small weights in the hems of dresses manipulated the way fabric reacted to the movement, and pigment trapped inside organza gradually fell as models walked, leaving traces of colour on their legs. Even the footwear played along: tights hooked around toes and leather bands above the knee connected back to shoes, pulling taut before shifting with every step.
Yet beneath all the experimentation was a very believable wardrobe: sharp tailoring, sheer dresses, embellished bra outlines and women carrying several bags at once, as though already late somewhere.
For someone suddenly carrying considerably more expectation on her shoulders, Kegels found a clever response, and rather than resisting the weight, she designed around it.
VAUTRAIT
review by TIANA DE HASETH
all images courtesy of VAUTRAIT
Vautrait decided to make space for a slower life for the Spring Summer 2027 collection. The central question for the brand was “What happens when a life becomes so full that there is no room left to feel?” .
This perspective gave creative director Yonathan Carmel a deeper focus on imagery and language by embracing a sense of restraint. Instead of dramatic themes, Carmel took a slower approach for the collection throughout colours, such as light blue, grey, brown, white, beige, olive, and burgundy, a palette that is inspired by sailing, weather, salt, tide, and oxidized metal. This changed the perspective of time to focus on natural rhythms rather than productivity.
The lineup consists of comfortable-looking clothing and oversized silhouettes. Coats, peacoats, hats ripped sweaters, and widd trousers with fabrics that are light enough for the wind to blow through. For the designer, it’s all about owning less, moving slower, and paying attention.
This collection allows you to slow down and embrace simplicity and reconnect with the natural rhythm of life.
HODAKOVA
review by ELIANA CASA
images courtesy of HODAKOVA
Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova quietly invited us to reflect during her SS27 show, and most importantly, to put our phones away for a moment. Serving as the catwalk was a carpet of what, at first glance, looked like snow, only for us to realise it was salt once the first looks began to appear – and to be certain of it only at the end of the show.
For this season, Hodakova’s focus was not on large volumes, but rather on the profound meanings hidden behind the distressed leather of the dresses and suits, which looked as though they had been made from papier-mâché. Adding to the feeling that the models were impersonating some sort of dolls was the make-up, with eyes painted directly onto their eyelids. It wasn’t some sort of horror-movie reference, but rather, most likely, a gentle indirect reminder from the designer to finally open our eyes to the enormous devastation climate change is causing to our ecosystems.
As the collection progressed, so did the clarity of the designer’s references, and natural elements began appearing more and more, like the recycled leather with a crocodile-like texture used on some dresses, coats and skirts. We had our suspicions confirmed when fishnet dresses resembling fishing nets appeared on some of the skirts. In other cases, it looked as though the models themselves were trapped fish, caught inside net-like dresses.
And then they came: a few dresses, and suits glistening with seawater, with salt visible on the models’ skin as they walked down the runway. Silence fell before the finale. Nina Simone ‘Just Like A Woman’ played in the background while all the guests seemed to give up on the idea of cleaning the white powder from their shoes, after being surrounded by it throughout the show. The pamphlet, reading like a personal diary page from Ellen, said:
“I suddenly feel more shame. [...] We dreamt about the food on our table being delivered with a click and so we did it. They forced the cow with chili in their eyes and ripped off the skin when I was alive. I cried and tried to ask kindly, why? We just stood, yes we stood.”
We don’t have the answers, and we probably never will. But yes, we do feel shame and powerlessness, as we stand in Paris in autumn, with temperatures above 25 degrees. Drenched, naked bums on a salt-covered runway cried out for a wake-up call at Hodakova. And, we did open our eyes.