In a typical year, Haute Couture Week in Paris lands smack dab in the middle of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. But this isn’t a typical year. The Olympic games are being held in the city for the first time since 1924 and in anticipation of their arrival, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode shifted the schedule up by roughly a week to allow designers to present their highest-end offerings to clients before the entire world descends upon the city for the opening ceremony on Friday, July 26. From day one of the shows, it was clear that couturiers had both athletes and the triumph of the human spirit on the brain. Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri presented a lineup of sporty-chic Grecian gowns, many with tank top silhouettes, in tribute to Olympians from antiquity to today. Ever the showman, Thom Browne began his presentation with a literal tug of war and ended with models in bronze, silver, and gold gilded suiting. For its part, Chanel looked to feats of the operatic variety presenting the house’s first collection since the departure of Virginie Viard at the Palais Garnier. The presentation, which featured dramatic opera capes and glamorous evening skirt sets, marked the first time Chanel has held a couture show at the historic location. (Its usual spot, the Grand Palais, is currently being outfitted to accommodate Olympic fencing.) Here, we’ve tracked the winningest looks of the season.
