Burgers are getting bigger; there’s a lot of big talk in the air; and the White House is planning a big addition, but as the collections wind to a close, the big news out of Paris is — not so big.
Oversize is over. Everything is narrowing down. Not in an Ozempic way; in an aerodynamic way. Those linebacker shoulders, puddling pants and megalith jackets of recent seasons? Forget ’em.
At Hermès, Nadège Vanhée did, opting instead for slick leathers and streamlined suiting, even some form-fitting bike shorts. The point is not so much to take up a lot of space as it is to move more efficiently and effectively through the chaos.
Michael Rider called the broader pivot after a breezily confident Celine show (breezy confidence is his vibe; the kind you aspire to slip on every day), announcing that “a slimmer silhouette just felt fresh after seeing a lot of fabric and a lot of clothes out there for a long time. Nothing against it, but that just didn’t feel urgent right now.”
Well, someone had to say it.
The change has been picking up steam since Demna swapped body enveloping for bodycon at Gucci, but has now reached critical mass somewhere more human-size in the middle. Even Pierpaolo Piccioli, who inherited Demna’s mantle at Balenciaga, seemed to realize that following in his erstwhile footsteps and going large was not the answer.
Unfortunately, he also didn’t seem particularly clear on what shape things should take. Instead, he appeared to be struggling with how to preserve Balenciaga’s recent dystopian streetwear style while simultaneously hearkening back to classic couture and also adding his own take on the brand. Phew.
The result was a neither-here-nor-there collection that merged denim and hoodies with sac back coats and portrait collar leathers. Not to mention a collaboration with the “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson that included a video of interspersed faces from both shows (the series and the fashion) with various landscapes that played before and during the presentation. It served mostly to distract from the clothes, rather than make them feel edgy and of the moment, as did the blackened room and dimly lit long and winding runway.
It’s too bad, because stretch jersey dresses draped on the bias with only two seams so they could expand and contract to fit every body type were stellar, as was the decision to put those different body types on the runway. And many of the coats were great. They just got overwhelmed by the overcomplicated concept. Balenciaga is Mr. Piccioli’s house now. Acknowledging the work of the designers who came before is a laudable instinct, but he should have the confidence of his own creativity.
At Celine, Mr. Rider does. He is a designer of pieces, rather than total looks; the kind of clothes you can imagine walking straight off the runway and onto a Parisian street, D.I.Y.ed with an existing wardrobe according to taste. This season it means straight, cropped trousers that end in a little flare at the calf (get ready, you’re about the see them everywhere) for women; slim-line overcoats for men; and double-breasted blazers for both. Also trenches atop paillette-festooned party dresses; little skirts belted over cigarette pants; and turtlenecks.
The lines were long, dropping down from a sharp shoulder, and multilayered. Though his first two collections riffed on an American-in-Paris theme, bringing sportswear to the pret-a-porter, this time, Mr. Rider leaned more Frenchy than preppy. (Many shoulders sported a pin — not like a brooch, but like a campaign badge — announcing “Bienvenue chez Celine.”)
What makes his work so appealing is the slightly off-kilter way it is put together, just strangely enough to imply an inventive inner life masked by a bourgeois exoskeleton. It extends permission to add your own weird, and then models the possibilities with accessories: bucket hats with evening columns; scarves tied not just around the throat but seemingly halfway up the face; guys with feathers stuck in their hair (feathers?); jangling shell necklaces.
It’s kind of the perfect fit.
Vanessa Friedman has been the fashion director and chief fashion critic for The Times since 2014.
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