Every day since last Sunday, we've had to stop once or twice to catch our collective breath. That's largely because so many of the Haute Couture looks that came down the runways in Paris this week were, well, breathtaking.
But more than just being lovely confections festooned with appliqués, lacework, embroidery, and sequins, these looks were special because for the first time in a very long time, they heralded a new direction in couture at large. The people who create couture are very clearly trying to make couture a compelling argument to a different and much younger audience than they've focused on in the past. We saw this everywhere from Giambattista Valli's show, where the skirts were surprisingly short and sassy, all the way to old-guard houses like Chanel and Dior, which both showed sneakers [1].
Below, a look at the looks we can't get out of our heads from Spring 2014 couture week.
Atelier Versace Haute Couture Spring 2014
Atelier Versace Haute Couture Spring 2014
Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring 2014
Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring 2014
Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring 2014
Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2014
Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2014
Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Spring 2014
Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2014
Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2014
Giorgio Armani Privé Haute Couture Spring 2014
Giorgio Armani Privé Haute Couture Spring 2014
Maison Martin Margiela Haute Couture Spring 2014
Maison Martin Margiela Haute Couture Spring 2014
Maison Martin Margiela Haute Couture Spring 2014
Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring 2014
Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring 2014
Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring 2014
Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring 2014
Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring 2014
Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring 2014
Vionnet Haute Couture Spring 2014
Vionnet Haute Couture Spring 2014
Valentino Haute Couture Spring 2014
Valentino Haute Couture Spring 2014
Valentino Haute Couture Spring 2014
Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Spring 2014
Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Spring 2014
Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Spring 2014
Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Spring 2014
Yiqing Yin Haute Couture Spring 2014
Yiqing Yin Haute Couture Spring 2014
Yulia Yanina Haute Couture Spring 2014
Yulia Yanina Haute Couture Spring 2014
Yulia Yanina Haute Couture Spring 2014
Georges Chakra Haute Couture Spring 2014
Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Spring 2014