Raf Simons’ paved the front of the Louvre’s Cour Carrée with a multifaceted mirror that distorted the immaculate lines of the building’s classical 18th century façade. The same kind of twisting occurred once inside the show, where the clothes were imbued with - at least in historic terms - a split personality. The 18th century provided fertile ground for Simons’ remixed influences, from the rural countryside to glamorous court palaces, which manifested themselves in a variety of silhouettes, cuts and materials. Circle skirts came reared with humped backs; dresses were trimmed in rows of microscopic fabric buttons; sleeves had the pomp of court dress; while velvet gilets tumbled to the ground like grand, sweeping frock coats. Most intriguing, however, were the more humble iterations of that period, like a calico print cotton that was cut into modern shapes and paired up with 1980s-style black tailored separates, or the old-fashioned nightgowns that found new life as crispy, airy cotton dresses. Simons anchored his looks with witchy-looking boots constructed from knitted sock uppers. The best looks in this collection, however, were those where Simons’ icy modernism popped out: the micro jacquard suiting was excellent as were the figure-hugging button-trimmed ¾ length skirts, paired with turtlenecks and lace tops.
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La Monique brings the French Riviera to Santa MonicaA transportive room of velvet, candlelight, and Riviera chic, serving French favourites with a modern wink
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Kat Milne is the designer behind fashion’s most intriguing retail spacesInfused with elements of the surreal, Kat Milne has designed stores for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Sandy Liang and A24. ‘People are looking for a more tactile experience,’ she tells Wallpaper*
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A refreshed 1950s apartment in East London allows for moments of discoveryWith this 1950s apartment redesign, London-based architects Studio Naama wanted to create a residence which reflects the fun and individual nature of the clients
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Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expectFive moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson
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Donna Trope celebrates the power of the Polaroid in Paris‘Polaroids used to be my rejects, and now they are my holy grail,’ says the beauty photographer, as she shows rarely seen images in a Paris exhibition
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Summer games, from pétanque to pool floats, get a fashionable spinFrom a luxurious pétanque set to pool floats and playing cards, summer games and toys from the world’s best-known fashion houses
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‘Modern beauty’: Pieter Mulier on his new vision for AlaïaAs creative director of Alaïa, Belgian designer Pieter Mulier honours the timeless vision of the maison’s founder while rewriting the past anew. Here, speaking to Jack Moss, he tells the story behind his first year at the house
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Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France FemmesMarking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs
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NYC fashion exhibitions to see right nowNew York City fashion exhibitions to add to your cultural calendar, as style stages a stunning takeover at The Met and more
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Mariella Bettineschi’s feminist artworks survey guests at Dior A/W 2022 showAs guests gathered at Dior’s A/W 2022 womenswear show venue in Paris, sets of duplicated eyes stared down at them from the artworks of Mariella Bettineschi
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Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu MiuIn this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
