Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week: Top five trends to know from kaleidoscopic hues to librarian chic

Next season’s couture looks are big, bright and brimming with specs appeal

Couture Fashion Week is one of the most highly anticipated fashion events of the year with press, stylists, bloggers and buyers descending on Paris in droves to view the latest collections from the fashion industry’s biggest and most important names.

On Thursday, four days of sartorial grandeur came to a close, with designers including Valentino and Dior delivering everything from “Big Dress Energy” and technicolour hues to fanciful feathers.

Not to mention the string of showstopping street style looks Couture Fashion Week veteran Celine Dion had to offer, including a replica of the iconic blue diamond heart-shaped necklace from Titanic.

Elsewhere celebrities including Naomi Campbell and Gwyneth Paltrow sat on the front row (FROW) as models such as Gigi Hadid, Lauren Hutton, and Kaia Gerber strutted down catwalks ranging from Chanel-inspired libraries to Dior’s Paris headquarters.

From the breathtaking gowns to the retina-searing rhinestones, here’s our roundup of the trends to note from Couture Fashion Week this season.

Colour crush

Bright colours are in this season (Getty) (Getty Images)

While most of us typically associate the autumn/winter season with shades of practical navy and black, vivid colours were popular in just about every collection on the runway for 2019.

The spectrum of hues was incredibly broad with Valentino delivering unexpected combinations of marigold and lime, and azure blue with emerald green.

Elsewhere, Schiaparelli went big on colour with striking oranges, reds and pinks while Giambattista Valli offered fluorescent pink looks confidently worn from top-to-toe.

Pink Built Up Slip Dress, £35, Topshop; Jennifer Behr, Valerie gold-tone faux pearl hair clip, £51, Net-a-Porter; Giles x Aspinal Mini Hat Box, £275, Aspinal of London; Heel Leather Shoes, £49.99, Mango

Translating this trend into real life wear isn’t as daunting as it sounds, particularly now the warmer weather has arrived.

If you’re looking to inject your new season getup with some sunshine then forget pastels and embrace bold, bright paintbox colours instead.

The easiest way to do this is with a single stand-out piece, like a summer dress, that you can accessorise with add-ons in punchy hues.

Specs appeal

Glasses, fake or real, were a staple piece (Getty) (Getty Images)

Even if you have near-perfect vision, this season’s couture shows are guaranteed to make you want to invest in some facial furniture.

For Virginie Viard’s Chanel couture debut, the fashion house transformed the Grand Palais into the Chanel library where models walked past book shelves wearing bow-embellished Victoriana pumps and elegant spectacles.

The setting, which took on the guise of Mademoiselle Chanel’s library at her 31 Rue Cambon apartment, was largely inspired by the late Karl Lagerfeld’s love of reading.

Making a real case for librarian chic, the reading glasses came with both delicate gold and tortoiseshell frames and were paired with everything from high-necked Edwardian shirts to floral ballgowns.

Neil Large, £98, Ace & Tate; Pantos Eyeglasses, £243, Chanel; Oliver Peoples, Coleridge Glasses, £177, Fashion Eyewear

If you’re interested in buying a similar pair, whether really need them or not, there are a number of stylish spectacle brands you can look to including Oliver Peoples, RayBan and Ace & Tate.

Or if you’re willing to splash the cash, you can find the real thing on Chanel’s website.

Crystal maze

Crystals are all the craze at the moment (AFP) (AFP/Getty Images)

Crystals have a rich history in the fashion world and this season designers like Giorgio Armani added a touch of bling to their couture looks by using the delicate decoration to adorn beaded ballgowns, tailored outerwear and silky camisole dresses.

Rhinestones were at the ready at Alexandre Vauthier too, with draped sequin dresses and sparkly brooches, while Ralph & Russo delivered a showstopping halterneck dress constructed from tiers of crystallised fringing.

Zoey Embellished Clutch Bag, £125, Reiss; Rhinestone Resin Hair Clip, £10, Topshop; Self Portrait, One-shoulder crystal-embellished velvet top, £150, Net-a-Porter; Ashley Williams, Cool Crystal Hair Pins, £110, Liberty London; Fit Clip Earrings,£49.50, Swarovski

Thanks to the fashion industry’s fixation with minimalism, there was once a time when wearing too much sparkle was considered a serious faux pas. But that was then and this is now.

If you prefer to err on the side of caution, one of the most subtle ways to embrace the trend is with a pair of party shoes, earrings or perhaps some hair clips complete with a scattering of rhinestones.

Sophisticated suiting

Suits are no longer just for the office (Getty) (Getty Images)

While the trend for trouser suits has been budding for some time now, you’re unlikely to have seen anything like the versions shown at the couture shows this week.

Continuing to repurpose menswear for the girls, designers like Givenchy intercepted a sea of ultra-glam ball gowns and sparkling sequins with monochromatic tailoring complete with silky lapels.

Similarly, Dior showcased a series of structured looks including cinched in blazers and floor-sweeping tailored coats, while Chanel presented a fresh take on its tweed suiting with long slim jackets, mini dresses and a dramatic velvet tuxedo ball gown.

House of Holland, Belted grain de poudre blazer, £550, Grain de poudre mini skirt, £225, Net-a-Porter; Chloe, C small suede-trimmed leather shoulder bag, £1,245, Net-a-Porter; Cult Gaia, Alia Perspex and leather mules, £295, Net-a-Porter

The trend for trouser suits is translating onto the high street too, with global fashion search engine Lyst stating that searches for “suits” have surged by 23 per cent since the beginning of the year.

Tailoring can be tricky to get right in the summer, so if you want to incorporate it into your warm weather wardrobe consider the power short or skirt as an alternative.

Wear yours with coordinating jackets, silky camisoles and heels by night, or a casual T-shirt and flat mules by day.

Eighties Remix

1980’s fashion is enjoying a resurgence (AFP) (AFP/Getty Images)

At Giorgio Armani there were plenty of references to the late Eighties, including a series of polka dot looks, shoulder-heavy blazers and peasant frocks.

But it was the accessories, like the oversized bows, bold statement earrings and silk rose hairpieces that really upped the ante.

Elsewhere, Alexandre Vauthier’s first look epitomised the era with a black tuxedo worn with prom-style ruffled shirt and bow tie. Fantasy and glamour continued to permeate the collection with oversized ruffles and a metallic pink mini cocktail dress worn with polka dot high heels.

Loeffler Randall, Teddie Knotted Plisse Lame Headband, £60, Net-a-Porter; Balenciaga, Square Knife polka-dot flocked lamé pumps, £750, Net-a-Porter; Dundas, Draped open-back satin-jacquard mini dress, £595, Net-a-Porter; Diamante Pink Grab Bag, £27, Topshop

The Eighties were an era dedicated to stylised excesses, so it can be easy to get this trend wrong.

To ensure you don’t commit any serious crimes against fashion, we suggest incorporating single elements like shoulder pads on jackets, dresses lined with ruffles and waist-defining belts into your look.

Alternatively, throw caution to the wind and go all-out for a night on the town by wearing several tropes from the era all at once.