Welcome to the Party: Isabel Marant Fall/Winter 2023
The designer explores the relationship between “desire” and “disorder” with a Parisian party as the backdrop.
If anyone is going to throw a party in the Palais Royal, complete with a mosh pit and quite possibly the world’s loudest sound system, it is going to be Isabel Marant. There was drama and noise and undeniable glitz. And like any great party, the guest list was immaculate. From Imaan Hammam to Caroline Trentini to Natasha Poly, the runway was stacked with a list of Grade-A veteran strutters.
Marant built the Fall 2023 collection around two states – those being emotional or physical or what have you – desire and disorder. Even the show’s accompanying performance by Lulu Van Trapp’s Rebecca Baby, shared the lyrics “desire” and “disorder” over and over and over. Evidently, the concepts were crucial to the understanding of Marant’s knockout looks.
Whether desire is something external, coming from the wandering eye of others, or internal, as a manifestation of self-love, the focus on desirability was there. Sexy, yet casual pieces like a sheer black dress with shiny detailing and towering, leggy boots stole the show. A new denim cut offers just enough of a peek of skin, a small but relevant nod to desire. But since nothing is always exactly what it seems with Isabel Marant, desire can also be the urge to cuddle up, as soft knitwear and large coats take over the runway.
Chaos is another word commonly used to signify disorder. And in a chaotically perfect way, Marant delivered. Oversized puffer coats nearly drowned out the models, pointy cone-like boots clicked down the runway, ] zipper and crystal embellishment-adorned dresses meshed together sleekness and confusion.
All in all, the collection was a celebration. From the most minute details of music and ambiance to the overwhelming ode to coats and jackets galore, everything at the show was made for toasting.