Chanel and Off-White steal the show at Paris Fashion Week this year

Paris hosted another Fashion Week beginning March 7 featuring the Fall 2016 women’s lines from fashion houses such as Valentino, Dior, Chanel and the upand-coming label, Off-White.

Both Chanel and Off-White stole the show this year, showcasing simple yet creative designing skills in their upcoming fall lines.

Off White:

Off-White, created by Kanye West’s creative director Virgil Abloh, showcased its 2016 Fall Ready-to-Wear line after premiering its first runway show in February.

Off-White plain ribbed turtlenecks. (Photo courtesy of Highs Nobiety)
Off-White plain ribbed turtlenecks.
Photo courtesy of Highs Nobiety

At first glance, Ablohs designs  may seem simple and lack complexity, however Abloh incorporates the act of screen-printing and splicing different pieces together to create a whole new idea out of something broad and plain.

Among the pieces shown were plain ribbed turtlenecks with Abloh’s signature “OFF”printed in tiny letters, as well as crop tops patched together from vintage t-shirts.

The aesthetic of Off-White’s line is very punk and combines the elements of high fashion and street-wear in a manner that most designers would consider unthinkable.

Most of the clothing styles were highly unorthodox and featured jackets and coats pulled off a model’s shoulder, as well as wearing certain pieces in a way that allowed each piece to appear as a unique and expensive item.

Model wears vintage denim jacket in an unorthodox way. (Photo courtesy of Highs Nobiety)
Model wears vintage denim jacket in an unorthodox way.
Photo courtesy of Highs Nobiety

“That’s a normal coat. It could have been bought at a thrift shop, but the way she’s wearing it makes it look expensive. Expensive is the biggest buzzword. It’s the biggest new fashion slang. It’s like the word ‘lick.’ These words mean something now. The idea is not to spend tons of money,” Abloh said in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily magazine.

Chanel:

Following the Chanel couture show in January, creative director Karl Lagerfield returned with simple ready-to-wear pieces that brought back a vintage Chanel look and feel.

Surprising attendees with a hot pink suit, Lagerfield created a collection that appeared similar to former Chanel lines from 1960 to 1980’s.

Knee-high socks with boots under a suit was a prominent style, as well as oversized quilted coats and a unique pale pink and black hoodie worn by Kendall Jenner.

The show concluded with models marching down the runway in a criss-cross pattern and Lagerfield taking a bow with his 7-year-old godson Hudson Kroenig.

Many celebrities were on hand for the exclusive show including Pharrell, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Willow Smith; who was announced as a new Chanel Ambassador.

Smith joins an all-star cast of “Chanel Girls” including Kristen Stewart, Lily-Rose Depp, Julianne Moore, and Cara Delevingne.

Look out for many more campaigns and new items from Chanel and Off-White coming later this year.

Karl Lagerfeld with godson Hudson Kroenig.
Karl Lagerfeld with godson Hudson Kroenig.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Models in looks 37, 1 and 52 on the Chanel fall 2016 runway. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
Models in looks 37, 1 and 52 on the Chanel fall 2016 runway.    Photo courtesy of Getty Images