Paris fashion takes centre stage every season, but nothing compares to the spectacle of the Haute Couture Week in the French capital. Known for celebrating the most exclusive, tailor-made end of fashion, this biannual event is where creativity, craftsmanship, and luxury collide.
For Fall/Winter 2023/24, Paris Fashion Haute Couture Week unfolded against a backdrop of social unrest and ongoing protests. Yet, despite the tension in the air, couturiers remained undeterred, presenting collections that were nothing short of theatrical artistry. Each look was meticulously handcrafted, embodying the very essence of high-end couture.
From timeless neutrals like black, white, and tan to bold statements in royal blue, forest green, crimson red, and striking purple, colour played a dynamic role on the runway. Silhouettes took inspiration from Art Deco elegance, featuring flowing gowns, intricate details, and sculptural forms. Designers from around the world brought both innovation and heritage to the catwalk, turning the season into a celebration of fashion’s enduring power to inspire, even in uncertain times.
Six Designers from the Paris Fashion Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023/24
Here are six standout designers whose shows elevated the magic of Paris fashion Haute Couture this season—with unforgettable concepts, craftsmanship, and couture artistry.
SCHIAPARELLI
After a more restrained collection in Paris Fashion Haute Couture AW22, Daniel Roseberry returned to Paris Fashion Haute Couture with a bold new vision titled “And the Artists.” This collection wasn’t just about artistic inspiration—it embodied the creative journey itself. Roseberry merges surrealism, exploration, and humour into an emotional design narrative.
This season’s highlights included a royal blue top blended into body paint, a golden necklace shaped like a human face, and Schiaparelli’s signature anatomical toes and ear-buttons. A white cover-up mixed textures like wool and wood, while pearl-encrusted capped pumps added a quietly dramatic touch. The collection pushed boundaries without losing the couture house’s deep connection to the human form.
IRIS VAN HERPEN
Known for fusing fashion with science and art, Iris Van Herpen presented “Architectonics,” a collection inspired by bionic architecture—a vision where nature and humanity evolve in harmony.
The designs featured sculptural silhouettes in metallic gold and geometric forms that echoed Art Deco with a futuristic twist. With each look, Van Herpen continues to blur the lines between fashion, movement, and organic design, creating a visual language that challenges the norms of couture. Her artistry points to a world where fashion adapts to our changing environment as fluidly as nature itself.
JUANA MARTIN
With “Fieras,” Juana Martin, a designer from Cordoba, wove an emotional tribute to post–Spanish Civil War resilience. Through symbolic imagery—bulls for strength, hands for oppression, eyes for surveillance—she told a story of pain, rebellion, and gradual emergence of peace and freedom.
Her signature aesthetic of body symbolism met cubist and abstract art influences, using black, white, grey, and silver tones. Each piece was a narrative—artistically crafted and politically charged, reflecting not just Spanish history but a universal journey through trauma and transformation. For example, the hands encircling the dress represent a form of oppression, and the eyes as government surveillance.
RAHUL MISHRA IN PARIS FASHION
Indian couturier Rahul Mishra spotlighted the artisans behind Haute Couture in ‘We, The People.’ The collection blended imagination with reality, honouring the invisible hands that craft each stitch.
As India becomes the world’s most populous country, Mishra draws inspiration for his collection from the report. He considers the relevance of “people” inside the country’s identity and ever-expanding community. The atelier honours every life affected by Mishra‘s Couture, acknowledging the strength it brings to the system as a whole.
Opening with a live embroiderer at work, the show paid homage to craft as divinity. And Mishra’s message became clear: fashion is labour, love, and legacy. Silhouettes dazzled with delicate floral embroidery and sculptural detailing—especially a standout bridal look in off-white and pastels, and a vibrant purple ensemble shaped like a blooming flower. Mishra’s show served as a poetic reminder that true luxury lies in the labour of love behind the seams.
ELIE SAAB IN PARIS FASHION HAUTE COUTURE
With “Regal Reverie,” Elie Saab offered a majestic escape into the past, reinterpreted through a modern lens. His structured silhouettes exuded grace and grandeur, with embroidered gowns that whispered elegance and power.
Elie Saab’s generous spirits are revealed through structured silhouettes of gracious composure, slipping ethereal wisdom and delicate fortitude. His designs always impress and are a staple couture line every season.
My best-loved design of this collection feels like it has stepped directly out of a royal castle. A gorgeous royal green felt, with nude cut-outs creating intricate designs along the dress’s entirety. In addition, the connected hood and cape create a lavish and classical feel, allowing the overall design to crossover between timeless and modern beauty.
ASHI STUDIO IN PARIS FASHION HAUTE COUTURE
Mohammed Ashi’s “Essence” explored the transformative power of scent as a metaphor for memory, passion, and obsession, drawing inspiration from Patrick Süskind’s novel Perfume.
Passion, obsession, and mystery permeate dramatic silhouettes, embodying the visceral quest for the ultimate expression of art. Just as extraction transforms the soul of a plant into scent, Ashi uses meticulous craftsmanship to reconstruct immaterial notions of memory, yearning, and fragrance into couture.
Billowing organza, architectural cut-outs, and resin heels shaped like half-full perfume bottles spoke of desire and decay. As a poetic ode to dark romance, the runway featured a diverse cast reflecting Ashi’s Asian roots. In keeping with the couturier’s flair for drama, it was staged at the iconic Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Ashi’s collection celebrated self-expression, fluidity, diversity, and feminine mystique.
All Images in this blog post are from Vogue.com.