Paris Fashion Week: 6 New Designers in the Spotlight

Paris Fashion Week: 6 New Designers in the Spotlight

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models on a runway
© martinkay/Shutterstock

Prèt-à-Porter Spring/Summer 2016 Collections

Right now, Paris runways are flanked by the traveling fashion pack fresh from attending the shows in Milan, London, and New York. All hungry to savor the special mix of technical know-how, glamour, and originality only the City of Light’s designer talents can deliver in such a luscious dose.

Nearly 100 shows are listed on the official fashion calendar’s program. Each with its own special take on what to wear next spring and summer.

For the past two decades I have covered the leading lights of Paris fashion ranging from Hubert de Givenchy, to Alexander McQueen, to Dior’s John Galliano, to Lanvin, Chanel, YSL and Jean Paul Gaultier, just to name a few. These are the shows full of electric excitement, colorful spectacle and talent galore. Front rows studded with the likes of Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rihanna and Sting.

But this season, I am intrigued by the winds of change blowing in from the lesser-known ranks of fresh fashion talents. They are designers still in their twenties and thirties, and they master the techniques not only of couture, but also of social media. Their creations are found in concept stores or on the internet. And I do not attend their shows for the spectacle but to discover the originality of their clothes.

Here are the ones to watch:

JACQUEMUS

Paris Fashion Week: Le Nez Rouge/SS 16 © Jacquemus
Spring/Summer 2016 © Jacquemus


Simon Porte Jacquemus
is a young man from the south of France. His inspirations come from the 1980’s, producing collections that are conceptual, with a great deal of humor and unabashed minimalism. He has the nod from Rei Kawakubo, creator of Comme des Garçons, and is sold in her flagship store in Paris.

ANTHONY VACCARELLO

S/S 2015 © Anthony Vaccarello
Spring/Summer 2015 © Anthony Vaccarello

 

This young, Belgian-Italian talent produces electrifying shows which display his sensuous, sultry creations. He is the master of the little short dress with an edgy take on grunge and an ode to the fearless woman.

CEDRIC CHARLIER

Paris Fashion Week: Resort 2016. © Cedric Charlier
Resort 2016 © Cedric Charlier

 

This young Belgian designer first honed his skills at Lanvin and Cacharel. The first show under his name in 2012 immediately captured the attention of fashion critics. His precise cuts, fluid lines and minimalist femininity is in sync with a modern woman’s quest for subtle refinement.

CHRISTINE PHUNG

Christine Phung, spring-summer 2015
Spring/Summer 2015 © Christine Phung

 

Winner of the prestigious ANDAM prize for a debut collection in 2013 in Paris, Christine is known for her geometric lines, bold colors, and the fluid architecture of her prèt a porter line. She is also showing promise in her simple and elegant accessories line.

YIQING YIN

Yiqing Yin. Spring-Summer 2015.
Spring/Summer 2015 © Yiqing Yin

 

This beautiful young Chinese designer based in Paris is already in full ascension. She has shown her own line of Haute Couture since 2011. Her fluid, gossamer creations belie an intricate, sophisticated construction expressing an intense femininity. She has recently been named artistic director of the House of Leonard.

OLYMPIA LE-TAN

 © Olympia Le-Tan
Spring/Summer 2015 © Olympia Le-Tan

An ex-Parisian It Girl, Olympia has created a line of clothes exuding retro sensuality. She has a fresh take on what it takes to be sexy in the fashion capital of the world. No wonder models smile when wearing her clothes on the catwalk!

Madeleine Czigler was born in Budapest, Hungary and raised in Toronto, Canada. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto and the Sorbonne in Paris and has pursued a career in TV broadcasting and print journalism for three decades. As a field producer for major media such as CTV, CBC, Discovery and PBS, Madeleine reported on topics ranging from political elections, Olympic sports and fashion shows. From 1989 to 2009, she was the Paris based producer for the internationally acclaimed CBC TV series Fashion File seen in over 150 countries around the world. Madeleine has covered hundreds of fashion shows and back stages interviewing celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Linda Evangelista and Karl Lagerfeld. Madeleine now divides her time between Paris and Toronto, freelancing and teaching communications at the American University of Paris.

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