The Best Looks From the Spring/Summer 2023 Couture Shows in Paris

Kim Jones closed out the week with a light-as-air presentation of the Italian house’s techniques. Lingerie as dresses, dresses as lingerie, and a muted boudoir color palette allowed the intricate leatherwork and lacework to shine through. “Cobweb” bare thread dresses in slate grey and ivory provided the most delicate gala outfits of the week, delicately balancing the hard and soft, the man-made and artificial, and pushing forward the artistic director’s vision of the modern woman.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate

Known for his exquisite cuts, pleating, and fabrics, Robert Wun debuted a couture collection dedicated to the mishaps that often come with simply being a person who wears clothes. Wine spills, rainy days, even burns were all represented in the perfectly crafted garments. Subtle 3-D feather and pearl details brought the collection to life, with one look even mimicking actual, real raindrops (only a zoom-in on a computer screen could reveal that it was not, in fact, raining indoors).—Madison Rexroat, fashion and accessories assistant

As the saying goes, the show must go on, and one model falling didn’t stop Valentino from showing a parade of super-high heels and club-inspired couture pieces magnified through color, texture, and lots of volume at the Bridge Club located underneath the Pont Alexandre III. Anne Hathaway, dance your heart out.—Claire Stern, digital deputy editor

Viktor & Rolf’s couture collection was delightfully discombobulated. Upside down, sideways, diagonal, perpendicular, even slightly misplaced are all terms that could be used to describe the otherwise picture-perfect debutante dresses showcased on the runway. Imagine if your childhood dollhouse survived an earthquake (or a tumble down the stairs), but everything inside was jumbled in the most lovely and unexpected way. That’s precisely the beauty of couture: thinking outside the dress.—Madison Rexroat, fashion and accessories assistant

Jean Paul Gaultier’s latest couture guest designer is none other than the legendary Haider Ackermann, who hasn’t shown his namesake brand in almost three years. Thankfully, his ready-to-wear already bordered on couture, with a revelatory eye for tailoring on the female body (and male, for that matter—hi Timothée Chalamet). His dashing, breathtaking silhouettes were a lesson in restraint and form. With just over 30 looks, Ackermann dug into Gaultier’s archive to create collection that harkens back to the heyday of the ’90s supermodel (think: sauntering, turning, posing, and demonstrating the wondrous ability of clothes to create drama). As one of the premier colorists of our time, Ackermann debuted bold feathers over razor-sharp suiting, metallic bombers, and a very epic aubergine dress that channeled Diana Vreeland and Irving Penn’s photography. The near-silence of the music let the clothes do all the talking, providing one of the most refreshing and clear-minded runway presentations we’ve seen in quite some time.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate

Alexandre Vauthier is a true Frenchman in every sense, delivering slick, très sexy looks for the uber-Parisian woman time and time again. His couture collection this season was no different, playing with a wide and unlikely variety of colors from forest green to neon yellow. Somehow, it all works, with oversized hooded fur jackets, slouchy rhinestone boots that are dying for a street style moment (hi, Rihanna), relaxed yet razor-sharp suiting, and party dresses that are truly a couture delight.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate

Paris is synonymous with Chanel, and the two came together as the fashion gods intended with a collection of long and short coat dresses, animal-inspired embroidery, menswear details like bow ties and top hats, and, of course, the soon-to-be It wedding dress of 2023 at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris, alongside grandiose sculptures by artist Xavier Veilhan that call to mind Where the Wild Things Are. Pure, unadulterated fantasy.—Claire Stern, digital deputy editor