The Best Couture SS19 Looks

by HULA , January 25, 2019

This past couture week in Paris saw Balmain returning to the schedule after 16 years – with Oliver Rousteing at its lead, creating a collection of futuristic creatures coming to life. Other shows which left a mark include Valentino, a flower-themed collection created by Pierpaolo Piccioli that left a teary Celine Dion in attendance. With diversity in mind, Piccioli also casted a mostly-black model line-up. We’re hoping this won’t be a one-off case! Vicktor & Rolf made statements, quite literally, with their collection, while Clare Waight Keller at Givenchy stunned everyone with her immaculate tailoring. Finally, Karl Lagerfeld redefined the beach wedding with Chanel’s final look — a model dressed in a jewel encrusted swimsuit, veil trailing behind her.

Over the years, couture has remained the same in many ways — the painstaking craftsmanship, the dream-states each show creates, the boundary pushing artistry. But it has also evolved in many ways — where women adorned in couture used to be simply portrayed as visions to be admired, they are now also presented as visionaries, disrupters, queens and activists (aliens too, in the case of Balmain). If the couture shows this time are revealing of our time in any way, they tell of an era when being a women means you could be whatever you want to be.

Here are some of our favourite looks from the collections from Valentino, Elie Saab and Giambattista Valli to name a few.

Valentino // Vogue