This week, Whitewall is looking back at the Spring/Summer 2020 Haute Couture collections presented in Paris, including the new designs from brands like Givenchy, Valentino, Giorgio Armani, and Rami Al Ali.
A simple runway with colored lighting set the scene for Giorgio Armani’s Spring/Summer 2020 Privé designs. In the collection we saw a 1960s mod attitude, Ikat prints, bold gem tones, and a jet-black cropped bob with bangs accompanying each look. For daytime wear, the designs included variations on a tailored top and relaxed trouser, including more slim cut pants and a take on the harem style, paired with tops like blazers, structured blouses with puffed sleeves, and sheer and embroidered shirts. For more formal occasions, floor length gowns and full skirts were seen in strapless and sleeved variations, including a beaded gown with a sheer overlay in black, blue, and magenta; and a purple strapless dress with beaded embroidery and sheer mesh details creating tiered layers around the skirt and shoulders. Each look was styled with heels, a clutch, and statement jewelry like large multicolored earrings and bib necklaces.
Courtesy of Giorgio Armani.
Inspired by the opulence of the orchid, Rami Al Ali debuted its Spring/Summer 2020 Haute Couture collection in the elegant stays of Paris’ Hotel Le Meurice. Celebrating the flower’s delicate but bold nature, the collection featured strong, architectural silhouettes imagined in hues like turquoise, lime green, and coral. Transforming classic ballroom styles with the brand’s own codes, we saw details like floral appliques, beading, structured pleating, and blends of texture emerging unexpectedly from creations of tulle, organza, Mikado, and silk-satin. Highlights included a one-shouldered gown in champagne and pink, with a beaded top and gathered tulle skirt; a dress in turquoise with the structured pleats reminiscent of flower petals; and a green jumpsuit with the billowing train falling from its one-shouldered sleeve.
Givenchy’s new Haute Couture collection was a love affair between women and flowers, using the garden as a metaphor for lives lived and seasons gone by. A wide range of silhouettes, styles, and details made up the new designs, each standing on their own, but brought together by the idea of the flora—in shape, color, and movement. Reminiscent of a field of wild daisies, we saw a strapless dress cascading with yellow appliqued flowers in ombre, ending in a bare white train. Embodying the shape of a calla lily, some styles were hooded in giant petal-like veils—like an all-blue dress styled with a single duster earring, or a white lace dress worn by Kaia Gerber. Other looks we loved included a wisteria-colored gown with structured ruffles and sleeves in pleated organza and a tuxedo-esque look in black and white with a belt and shoulders that unfolded like rose petals.
Courtesy of Giorgio Armani.
For the Spring/Summer 2020 season, Valentino recognized the dreamlike quality of Haute Couture by uncovering the mysteries of the subconscious. The silhouettes were clean yet highly detailed, featuring elements like cutouts, flaps, ruffles, and bows. Pops and slashes of red stood in the form of prints, color-block details, belts, and trailing ties at the back of the neck, accompanied by other lively hues like purple, pink, and yellow. For daytime, we saw varied styles in skirts, dresses, and pants—like an oversized layered tunic paired with a pink mermaid skirt, or a pair of high-waisted trousers worn with a ruffle-lined top and a red sash at the middle. For formal attire, our favorite looks included a black gown with the sheer top, styled with long gloves and a voluminous retro updo; a drop-waist gown with a full skirt and mixed prints; and a red sheer and velvet gown with the headpiece that reminded us of a coral reef.
