Vogue Editors On Their Favorite Paris Fashion Week Moments

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0:17This is The Run Through. I'm Nicole Phelps. Today on the show, we're talking about all things Paris Fashion Week. I'm joined by Virginia Smith, my colleague, and Vogue's global head of Fashion Network, who's sharing her thoughts on the shows and collections. Everybody's talking about Alessandra Michele's debut at Valentino. Jonathan Anderson wowed us once again at Loewe. And the rumors around the vacancy at Chanel keep on swirling. Let's get into my conversation with Virginia. Virginia, we are here at the French Vogue offices, just fresh off of the Gabriella Hurst show, to talk about the Paris fashion shows.

1:01Nicole, I feel you and I have been living together for the past two weeks. You have been my constant colleague, and we have gone through a lot these last couple of weeks together. Yes, I'm glad we can find the giggles in certain moments. Exactly. You have gotten me through a lot these past couple of weeks, so thank you. Likewise. So last night was the big show of the season. It was Alessandra Michele's debut at Valentino. And I want to know what you thought, because we haven't had a chance to talk about it yet. That's right. It was the show everyone has been talking about all Fashion Week. And in my opinion, it lived up to expectations.

1:41It was so great to be at a show that had so many ideas coming at you at one time. You know, the clothes, the shoes, the bag, the styling, the casting, the music. It was like sensory overload in the best possible way for me. And, you know, when Harry Styles is in the front row across from you, that never hurts as well. That is so true. Our colleague Tiziana's video and photos from the show all have Harry right there. And I'm sure they'll be getting a lot of likes on Instagram. I really liked the show, too. Ahead of time, there was a lot of chatter that it was going to be Gucci because that's where Alessandro Michele came from.

2:22And obviously Alessandro is Alessandro. But being as close as we were to the clothes, which I also think makes for a really great fashion show experience, you could see the very clear differences, I think, between what he did at his old brand and what he's doing at Valentino. Mr. Valentino was a couturier. He was known for the ultra-femininity of his clothes, the lightness, the ruffles. and you really got a sense of the hand and how fine and really exquisite the clothes were, I thought. Yeah, I did too. And it had a certain refinement that was different than what he did at Gucci for me. And I think you said this, Nicole, that Giancarlo Giacometti was FaceTiming Mr.

3:05Valentino during the show, which, I mean, I have to say when I read that, it brought a little tear to my eye. I mean, that is so sweet. So sweet. I think they both are probably very proud today. I agree. That was a really beautiful moment. There were other big shows this season, two sophomore collections, I like to call them. And I always say that sophomore collections can be harder than the first. And so Chimina Kamali had her second show at Chloe and Sean McGurr had his second show at Alexander McQueen. Give me your feedback on those. I think what Chimina has done at Chloe is really remarkable.

3:46She came from even her debut, she had a fully realized view of what her Chloe woman was going to be. And honestly, in all my years of looking at fashion shows, you don't see that that often, that out of the gate. People need time to develop usually. She had a fully realized vision. I mean, the other person for me that I remember having that so clearly was Alessandro Michele at Gucci, one from his first show. But Chimina did it. And I think actually her second show to me was even better. I thought the ideas were a little more developed. For me, the collection had more breadth maybe than the first one.

4:24So I thought it was a fantastic follow-up show. I mean, and there's such goodwill for her. And it's so nice to see. Yeah, that was a great show with so much energy. And a shout out to whoever chose the Cocteau Twins song because that it really suited the collection. And I agree with you. More casual pieces like a great Henley and very cool jeans that reminded me of Phoebe Philo's for Chloe way back in the day. I think that collection is actually almost 20 years old. That collection where Daria Warbovi wore those jeans. Isn't that crazy? That's crazy. And actually, when I went to, I did a re-see in the showroom on that collection, and it's so pretty in person.

5:06All the lingerie pieces are so beautiful. I mean, there's sort of something for everyone in that collection, which is great to see. And they were so happy. The PR were so happy. The whole showroom seemed so happy. It was quite a vibe in there. So good for them. Yes. And then a few days later, Saturday night, We were at the École des Beaux-Arts for Sean McGurr, and we're very happy to be closer to the center of things than we were for last season, right? Yeah, I mean, poor thing. I mean, last time it was, you know, we don't need to go there again. But as we all know, that was a show that was definitely an hour away in the middle of a monsoon.

5:47So it wasn't a good starting point. And then the show came and obviously there was a lot of criticism about his debut. So I felt for sure this one was a good step forward for him. I thought the tailoring in the beginning was exceptionally beautiful. Then he went into sort of a distressed chiffon, evening dresses at the end, obviously making a play for Red Carpet, which is great. And McQueen has been so good at that over the years. So I think it was a very strong next step for him, more in the DNA of McQueen. You know, I guess his challenge, maybe for the third time as a charm, is really putting more of his stamp on McQueen.

6:25But I think he's a good designer. You know, it's early days. And, you know, sometimes, most often, it does take time to develop and what you're really going to say about this brand. I also think McQueen is probably one of the harder houses to take over. You know, Lee McQueen was so, you know, revered by so many people, and Sarah as well, that I think it's a particularly hard one. I agree. Some of us have clear memories of McQueen. And, you know, what you were saying just a second ago really resonates. Very few of us remember that McQueen struggled for seasons slash years in creative anonymity, right?

7:10There was no social media. There was no online commentariat. And he was able to, you know, nurture his own creativity and develop his signatures and his voice over the course of years before he was given the creative directorship of Givenchy. And I think we just need to remember that successes aren't necessarily born overnight. And we'll see how it goes for him next season. I have high hopes for him. I really do. I think he's going to be fine at that house. And, of course, another big topic of the week is the vacancy at Chanel. I've never felt sort of more rumors swirling around us in a Paris Fashion Week than I have at this moment.

8:00I mean, it's insane. Every time I see someone new, they say, oh, I have it from a really good source. So we've all heard the same names. I mean, it's insane. And honestly, I have no idea who's going to get that role. You know, we were lucky enough to preview it yesterday. and I was telling, I think I mentioned this to you, the one thing I was so struck yesterday when you go into Chanel is how all the women who work there look. They take Chanel and make it, their own personal way of wearing it. It looks like they were born always wearing Chanel, but it looks really cool and effortless. And I'm always so impressed with the women who work there and how they look.

8:42So I was very focused on them. But I mean, I don't know who's going to get that job. Everyone seems to want it, but... Everyone, for sure. I totally agree with you about the young women who are working there in the accessorization, I think is how they put it. They look so fresh in their Chanel. And because this is airing officially shortly after the Chanel show, I feel safe to say that they told us that the inspiration was lightness and they are back in the Grand Palais for the first time after that long renovation that was done ahead of the Paris Olympics. And so the Grand Palais itself and the structure of it informed some of the pieces.

9:25So when you're looking through the pictures, people, you might notice some grid-like embellishments and details on the accessories. And it was the Grand Palais that inspired them all. I think we both loved Lueve. Yes, we did. Why did you love it? You know, I typically always like Louie Pé, to be honest. I just like his vibe and his aesthetic, usually. But I love that sort of slouchy pant, drapey slouchy pant, of course. That's something I personally relate to. And then that hose series of floral dresses that with the internal hooping and that create volume. I mean, it was such a, there's been an interesting thing this season with these light dresses walking the runway.

10:08And if you look at them from the side, we always get such beautiful views of how those dresses move. And then he sort of grounds it with either his high top sneaker, which was great, or those very elongated sort of men's wear shoes, which is also sort of a thing that's been going on. These exaggerated silhouettes and shapes that we've seen that sort of started at Batega and definitely continued on at Loewe. And he also has a great bag that I didn't really register as much until I went back to the showroom. I think it's called the Madrid. And it's just like the most chic bag. And that is definitely something I have my eye on for the upcoming season.

10:48One of the things that might not register in the images is those T-shirts, which had Bach or Mozart. They looked like the kind of posters you would get at a museum. Images of those, those were actually made with feathers and those images were printed on the feathers. And how exquisite were those? Oh, it's like the ultimate concert tee. I mean, they were beautiful. And also, I didn't realize at the time, those sort of oversized camouflage shorts were also feathers. And so, I mean, the workmanship there to see up close is pretty phenomenal. And that showroom was packed. I mean, people were, you know, really wanting to be there and look at those clothes up close.

11:31And it was a fun, fun visit for sure. Jonathan Anderson, the designer of Lueve, I'm not sure we mentioned his name yet, is really a star of the moment. And he is someone else who there are a lot of rumors swirling around. So check back with the run through when we have the full story. We will be sure to talk about it.

11:59Okay, we're going to take a quick break.

12:12Hi, I'm Rebecca Ford, senior awards correspondent at Vanity Fair and co-host of Little Gold Men. Oscar season is upon us. Little Gold Men takes you behind the scenes of the race for the biggest prize in Hollywood. There's a hundred wrestlers in the room, but only one can be Oscar nominated. Whether you're a movie lover or an industry buff, Little Gold Men from Vanity Fair has everything you need to know about this year's Oscar race. Follow and listen to Little Gold Men wherever you get your podcasts.

12:54And we're back. We are still waiting for the last day of Paris Fashion Week when Nicolau Gillesquière will, well, he'll be the penultimate show because, of course, the Caperni boys are taking certain people who never go to sleep to Disneyland. But Vuitton, it's Nicolau Gillesquière's 10th anniversary at the house. What are you expecting tomorrow? I have no idea what to expect with him. Did you preview it or no? Not a preview, not until right before the show. I love Vitan shows because, again, it is such a sort of all-encompassing moment. You know, there's so much to look at at a Vitan show. You're looking at the girl he's created, the accessories, the shoes, the clothes.

13:44You know, I think we sat next to each other during the last Vitan show, and I was just like, I'm not really even an evening wear person. that like really, but I loved those finale dresses at the last show. I was obsessed with them the whole season. So I have no idea what to expect from him, but I know it's going to be something great because 10 years, he's going to mark the occasion, I feel. I think one of those dresses wound up in a recent issue of Vogue, right? Yes, it did. Yes, it did. And actually, I ended up bringing here just sort of last minute, And I wore it the other day and was getting all these compliments, this sort of shirt, this tunic I have.

14:23And I realized it was by Nicola in his former days at Valenciaga. And I still, like, wear it and love it and brought it to Paris with me. So maybe I'll wear it to his 10th anniversary show. You should. Vogue vintage. Exactly. We've been talking a lot about that recently. So we may have more to come on that front. But let's backtrack to a week ago, practically, the start of the week has two big Paris names, Dior and Saint Laurent. I thought they were quite interesting and sort of sending very opposite messages about femininity and female power. Right. Yeah. I mean, I I actually really responded to Saint Laurent.

15:04I loved those, the tailoring and the suits. I was obsessed with some of the black evening suits towards the end and then obviously the sort of skirts in the middle. And I think Anthony was using Mr. Saint Laurent himself in the opening looks of how he dressed and sort of emulating that in his own way. And I thought it was great. I really liked it a lot this season. And I felt like you could either wear the whole thing, maybe the tie is for you, maybe it's not. But I also thought there was like amazing jackets that you could just wear on your own, you know. And sometimes Saint Laurent is very much, it really needs to be in the sort of a full look sort of.

15:46And it's harder to break down into pieces. And for me, this season was much easier to sort of incorporate into your own sort of personal style. And I liked that about it a lot. And at Dior, Maria Grazia Churi seemed to still be feeling the Olympics fever, right? It was a very athletic collection. It was. We had the archer slash performance artist right in front of us. And I think I was so fixated on her, I could barely look at the collection. But no, it wasn't quite a beautiful mix of sport with evening and ready to wear. I particularly liked the sort of tank tops and athletic wear with some of the shimmery skirts.

16:26And I loved the sort of sporty shoe boot situation that she had going on or the shoe sock, I think it was actually instead of a boot. But it was, I thought that was cool. I liked it. Did Paris have any surprises for you? So my colleague, Mark Colgate, the first day, I think it was Monday, lured me to a young designer by the name of Julie Kegel. She's from Antwerp. And she, it was literally pouring down weight and you were just handed an umbrella to sit down. But honestly, it was worth it. It was very charming. She did her take on sort of California surfing vibe. And it was just really nice to see someone who's starting their career.

17:09And she's someone I felt like, wow, this is someone to keep your eye on. I thought she had a lot of good ideas and they were done in a very innovative way. And obviously that her surfing aesthetic has been done many, many times, but she sort of was looking at it through the lens of a European lady, which it was interesting. So she was a surprise for me and I had fun at that show. A standout for me that we haven't mentioned so far is Nicolas de Felice at Courreges. I really, really admire what he can do sort of at the level of pattern making and craft. and craft. And, you know, by looking at this 1962 Andre Courreges cape, get to this, you know, very sort of futuristic-looking hooded coat, and then step by step sort of peeling it apart and creating these dresses that really all, you can lay them flat, they're a circle, and it's a really sort of a marvel of construction what he does, but at the same time making the kind of sexy clothes that models everywhere like to wear.

18:20It's a very interesting mix of quite conceptual, but very cool at the same time. He's done a great job at that house. I mean, he sort of nailed it from day one at that house, and he keeps getting better and better. And I'm sure he's someone a lot of the big houses have their eye on for bigger jobs later on and well-deserved. Yes, I agree.

18:49More on Paris Fashion Week after the break. Thank you.

19:22wherever you listen to podcasts.

19:27What trends stand out for you this season? I mean, I think there was definitely sort of a 20s vibe that I started feeling in Milan. I think, I guess, that started at Fendi, but then even at the Attico, there was sort of their take on it, and I thought that was interesting. And then going into sort of a Victorian lace vibe that I felt at Chloe and other houses. And then I think overall, though, what I'm sort of responding to is probably is what started for me at Bottega is just this sense of creativity for creativity's sake. And obviously he was looking at it through almost a sense of a child's wonder.

20:11So that led to different plays on proportion. And I feel like Loewe continued that a bit and we've seen it at other places as well. And it's just, I guess, a little bit of a return to a more eclectic individual approach to fashion rather than this very sort of stealthy chic mood we've been in for a few seasons. So I do think that obviously Marnie was another big example of that in Milan, which I also thought was a really exceptional show for him. But I feel like there is this idea of sort of eclectic individualism that is fun to see. And obviously, Valentino really amped that up for us yesterday.

20:53Right. It's kind of like business is hard, the economy, which way it's going to go, nobody knows. There's a lot of bad news out there. And for the last multiple seasons, designers have seemed quite risk averse. And for whatever reason, they decided to do the opposite and be a little risky and adventurous and playful. Yeah, it certainly makes for a much more fun show to see. Agree. So you've talked about some things you have your eye on, but if you could make a shopping list right now. Well, that Madrid bag is top of the list. There was a pant at Prada that I was literally obsessed with. I think I took like four pictures of it.

21:39There's also a very good bag at Prada, too, that I loved. And then, well, if I could afford it, I would definitely have a concert feathered tee from Loewe. What about you, Nicole? Oh, yes. You know, I appreciate a lot of the shoes this season. Sometimes I can see a show and not see the shoe at all because I'm focused on the clothes. But lots of flats out there, which I like because we, as New Yorkers, are walking absolutely everywhere we go. I think Nadege Van He at Hermes should get a call out here. She had two really great shoe styles. One, a very sophisticated, very plain riding boot, naturally.

22:24It was Hermes. And then a very cool clog-heeled wooden, clog-soled wooden sandal that I really liked. And I thought, oh, yes, this is a shoe that can walk right off the runway into real life. Yeah, that was a good one. She had great shoes last season, too. So whoever she's working with that shoes at Hermes, keep up the good work. Oh, speaking of shoes, too, I went to see a Pierre Hardy's collection at some point this week. I think it was very early on. And it looked so great, I have to say. Like, really, really amazing. I would put some of those shoes would be very high on my shopping list, too.

23:01So shout out to him. Well, we are coming to the end of Paris Fashion Week. We've been talking a lot about the road home. What are you most looking forward to about going back to New York? I think just having some personal life back in my, you know, going to Pilates would be first and foremost, you know, having a moment to yourself eating before 10 p.m. I mean, top of the list. It's just it's I mean, this is a really fun job and we're both, you know, feel lucky to have it. But two weeks on the road is I think we're all ready to get back to our friends and family. I agree. I'm very excited to see my husband and my son and my cats and also all the people at Vogue who hold down the fort while we are here.

23:47Shout out to our colleagues at One World Trade Center. Yes. Looking forward to seeing you all early Thursday morning. All right. Well, Virginia, thank you so much. It's always good to talk to you about fashion. Thank you, Nicole. Thanks for having me.

24:09That's it for The Run-Through. See you Thursday.

24:16The Run-Through is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalma, and Joanna Solitaroff. It's engineered by Jake Loomis and James Yost and mixed by Mike Kutchman. Stephanie Karaoke is our executive producer, and Chris Bannon is Condé Nast's head of Global Audio.

24:43Right now, in movies, in the opera, even in pop music, divinely inspired women are everywhere. This week on Critics at Large, we make our case. Saints are having a moment. Look, I can spout off any number of cliches, but they're all true. The world is moving faster and faster. Materialism is now reaching every single corner of the globe. It's very hard to say no. and to say stop and to say I will do without. And I think that explains some of the modern cultural appeal. I'm Vincent Cunningham. Join me and my co-hosts on Critics at Large from The New Yorker. Find us every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.