Chloé

Photo: Instagram.com/weinsanto
Victor Weinsanto, the creative force behind his eponymous brand, brought his sartorial excellence to Day 3 of Dubai Fashion Week of FW23.  The young designer, who launched his brand in 2020 was originally a dancer and is known for his playful spirit – his shows are often full of theatrics and drama that can only come from a deep seeded love for performance art.
Before going out on his own, Weinsanto had worked at renowned brands such as Y/project and Chloé but his greatest experience came from working for two years with Jean Paul Gaultier, another designer known for his ability in transcending boundaries while having fun with fashion. Weinsanto often finds inspiration in live entertainment and art, choosing his muses and friends from creative backgrounds as models and even collaborating with some.
This designer who launched his debut collection in Paris under the watchful eye of fashion royalty such as Simon Porte Jacquemus and Adrian Joffe is now ready to present his colorful creations to everyone in Dubai.

Read on to know all about Weinsanto’s Dubai Fashion Week FW23 show.
Tell us a bit about your collection being showcased at Dubai Fashion Week.The collection I will be showcasing in Dubai is called ‘The Life we deserve… or not’. It is all about love and achievements. The base print is made by my best friend and artist Romain Eugene Campens and is a really good representation of what I love. It’s colorful but also really abstract. The shapes are both huge and fitted and you will also find a lot of corsetry that I love.

What kind of woman are your designs made for?My designs are made for strong personalities but I genuinely would love to see a lot of different women wearing my designs. I love when my best friend and my mum love the same piece. That means to me that the brand can represent a lot of people. My clients are coming from a lot of different places in the world and are often completely different, I love that!

How does it feel to be a part of the inaugural Dubai Fashion Week?
It’s a huge honor to be part of the inaugural Dubai Fashion Week! I am extremely grateful to the council for trusting me and allowing me to showcase my work in Dubai. I love the culture here but what I love even more is that Dubai is now a major city for fashion and creativity.

The cast of your show also features Tunisian model Ameni Esseibi. What makes her an ideal fit for Weinsanto?Ameni inspires me so much and is such an inspiration for so many women in the world. I love her because she is fierce but also because she is a really kind person. She deserves the world and I am grateful to see her in my design. We definitely need way more diversity on the runways.

Name one regional and international celebrity you would love to see in your designs.It’s hard to choose one so I would say two. I would love to see Rihanna and Beyoncé wearing one of my designs.What’s next for your brand?We will soon discover what is next but hopefully something great. I would love to do more collaborations and grow our retailers. I love not knowing what is gonna be next. It is scary and exciting at the same time. Fingers crossed.Read Next: Everything to Know About the Upcoming Dubai Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2023/24

The fourth day of Paris Fashion Week was ‘eventful’ with a packed schedule of runway shows as powerhouse luxury fashion brands continue to present their Autumn/Winter 2023 collections. The day saw Gabriela Hearst bringing sustainability to the Chloé show, Givenchy celebrating feminine fare on the runway, Rick Owens travelling to the former pharaonic stronghold in the modern Egyptian city of Luxor, and much more. Here are all the highlights you need to know and the best looks from yesterday’s shows at Paris Fashion Week AW 23.
Off-White
Off-White: Vogue Runway
If last season was a reflection on accomplishments and a celebration of all that was, this season was effectively Kamara’s first fully authored mainline show at Off-White. On a trip back to Big Wharf  Ibrahim Kamara drew references from his humble beginnings: rain-rusted corrugated roofs influence color palettes, and West African motifs are reinterpreted to conjure a new vision of indigenous civilizations. The Off-Whit Blue in all its intimate power remains a point of reference with its humanity and vulnerability. Worldbuilding is an integral part of the process that engages in an unshakeable childlike whimsy. This season, logic is evaded in favor of an imagination with little to no limits. This collection envisions the future. Though sci-fi inspired, it doesn’t follow ageing tropes.  It is not about costuming or recreating.
Chloé
Chloé: Vogue Runway
Gabriela Hearst is known for her philosophy of designing elegant wearable clothes presented in a minimal setting and with her commitment and real passion for sustainability at the forefront. Inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi, the pioneering 17th-century female painter, flattering scooped out shoulder details, long thick statement coats and flared textured pants were among standout garments that felt at once modern and historic. The collection primarily sticks to black, browns and creamy shades of white, to emphasize each look’s rich materiality. It helps tie together the various ways one can be feminine; in a suit, in a leather bomber and midi-skirt set, in a knit cape dress. The collection also conveys the timelessness of the designs.
Givenchy
Givenchy: Vogue Runway
For the Fall-Winter 2023 Women’s Collection, Givenchy investigates a generational sophistication through reconsidered classical compositions. A new elegance, a contemporary study of glamor and a  re-contextualisation of archetypes. The reflection on a new elegance takes shape in a balance between the new and the old: silhouettes, constructions and styling informed by the past but adapted for the present. Defined by magnified volumes, tailoring cuts a strong shoulder with a softly nipped-in waist achieved without constriction. Black coats developed in the haute couture atelier are crafted in satin, tricotine, cashmere or mohair and sculpted with inverted pleats either at the back or with buttons at the waist. Suit jackets structured in the same silhouette appear with sheer underpinnings only, observing a contemporary evocation of a mini dress.
Rick Owens
Rick Owens: Vogue Runway
“Egypt and the pyramids hold an exotic mystery and magic. Also, just the monumentalism, just the hugeness, the mysticism, the pureness, the legend, how they dealt with death,” said Owens. “Being in Egypt, there is a disconnect between the world and my silly concerns, and my silly comforts. Egypt is a crudeness and sophistication, it is timelessness. When you’re there, the sense of history is so much bigger than when you’re in Paris. It’s just grander, that sense of history.” Owens is passionate about Ancient Egypt which was highlighted even further in  this show which was titled “Luxor”. The models featured his take on the era. Or rather, it showcases how women can dress today “to walk among the gods.” First, they would pull on their armor—Rick Owens over-the-knee leather boots. Then, they would wrap their bodies in thin fabric or voluminous puffer clothes covered in pink sequins. Shoulders jut upwards as if about to burst with wings. Trailing behind, cloth that reminds of a mummy’s shroud. That symbol of passage into the other world.
Schiaparelli
Schiaparelli: Vogue Runway
Elegance and quirkiness walked hand in hand at the Schiaparelli  show. Sleek designs (mostly in black) were elevated through the use of unexpected elements, such as buttons in the shape of key holes, or beautiful necklaces sculpted as golden oyster shells. Not surprising, as Daniel Roseberry has been consistently proving that everything he touches turns into gold. It was also refreshing to witness a show were glamour was fully embraced, not only in the choice of rich fabrics such as velted and faux fur trims, but also with the hairstyle of the models, sleek and acessorized with an XL band under, turbans, or with glorious Hollywood diva waves. Press play the check out the collection.
Off-White: Vogue Runway
Off-White: Vogue Runway
Off-White: Vogue Runway
Chloé: Vogue Runway
Chloé: Vogue Runway
Chloé: Vogue Runway
Givenchy: Vogue Runway
Givenchy: Vogue Runway
Givenchy: Vogue Runway
Rick Owens: Vogue Runway
Rick Owens: Vogue Runway
Rick Owens: Vogue Runway
Schiaparelli: Vogue Runway
Schiaparelli: Vogue Runway
Schiaparelli: Vogue Runway

Gabriela Hearst. Photo: Courtesy of Chloé

Gabriela Hearst, the Uruguay-born, New York–based designer whose eponymous label turned five this year, is the new creative director of Chloé. CEO Riccardo Bellini welcomed her in a statement this morning.
Hearst is the first non-European to hold this post (Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s exit was announced last week). Her craft-forward aesthetic meshes with Chloé’s, but what likely sealed the deal for Hearst was her sustainability bona fides. Last month in an interview with WWD, Bellini indicated that Chloé was seeking B Corporation certification for its social and environmental performance and creating an advisory board to hold the company accountable. “What a brand stands for, its beliefs and values, will become as relevant as products and aesthetics,” he said. For many brands sustainability has become a talking point, but Hearst’s appointment cements Chloé as one of the most environmentally minded luxury goods companies in the world.
Hearst’s first runway show for fall 2017 was produced to have as low as an environmental impact as possible, and from there her commitment to the issue has only grown. Now, she sources deadstock materials, opts for eco-friendly fabrics like linen and cuts out more damaging ones such as cotton, and chooses to use recycled yarns whenever she can.
Recycled cashmere, as it turns out, feels just as luxurious as virgin cashmere. In fact, most customers would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Hearst’s savvy was in communicating around the subject and becoming a thought leader on the issue. Environmental awareness is her brand’s point of difference. It won her a minority investment from LVMH’s venture arm early last year, and in September of this year, she picked up the CFDA’s Womenswear Designer prize.
“I am grateful for an opportunity at such a beloved brand as Chloé,” Hearst said in a statement. “I am thankful to Natacha Ramsay-Levi and all the other extraordinary designers that have come before her and helped build on the purposeful vision of Gaby Aghion. I am excited for the opportunity to work under the leadership of Riccardo Bellini and support him in his commitment to create a business that is socially conscious and in balance with our environment.”
Hearst will continue to design the Gabriela Hearst line and plans to split her time between New York and Paris, the pandemic notwithstanding. Her first collection for Chloé will be presented next March.
Read Next: Chloé Spring 2021 Brings Hope for the New World From the Old World
Originally published on Vogue.com