PREMIERE CLASSE, Paris
3rd – 6th March 2023
Tuileries Garden, 75001 Paris
Arriving at Premiere Classe, and it was so good to see some familiar faces… Kyoko a well-known modiste and designer here in Paris, with Masumi who worked with Jacques Le Corre for many seasons at Premiere Classe.Truss with her daughter, buying hats and accessories for their shop ‘Cappello’ in Nijmegen the Netherlands, arriving for their third trip to Premiere Classe this weekend. And the team from Monsel, one of Europe’s most treasured hat shops, located in the beautiful arcade in Brussels, visit Who’s Next and Premiere Classe each season.
Since its launch Premiére Classe had always been considered the most interesting, and most fashion forward accessory show in the world. Brands were originally small, presenting high levels of skill/craftsmanship at considerable higher prices than at the Prêt à Porter, with the designer/maker present on the stand.
When the smaller show ‘The Box’ was bought by the owners of Premiére Classe, and then closed after one or two seasons brands there were given space at this show, even though many had products to sell at slighter lower value with some mass produced, offering lower prices.
In the years since there has been a drip, drip, drip, of high-level labels leaving Premiére Classe including Philip Treacy and this season Mühlbauer, which (for me) was a very sad development.
This was my first return since Covid, and it was noticeable at first sight that changes had been made to the layout of the show, and the mix of brands and products.
Fashion Directions, Textures and Colours
The most noted updates this season were:
– Shine & Cosiness
– Colour
– Surface Design
– Sportswear influences
– Peals & Crystals
– Tweed
– Evening Headwear
Misa Harada showing from the UK for the first time since Covid presented a collection entitled ‘Peace’, which was inspired by her teenage years in Japan where she dreamed of coming to London, the birthplace of punk.
The collection featured structured caps, modern cloche shapes and elongated fedora hats, embellished in a halo of pearls, studs, crystals and veils. A very unique, and feminine collection, in fact a ‘stand out’ collection from Misa.
A vibrant shade of blue was strong for a/w 2023: Fléchet used it as one of the 14 shades for their men’s fur felt fedoras: Marzi took this colour for their casual range of felt baseball caps: and Anthony Peto used a soft mohair fabric in this shade for a collection of men’s soft hats and caps
Surface design and texture were also interesting: Tesi showed felt boaters with punched silver eyelets: Grevi a mix of soft fabrics for warm daywear: and Fléchet, wool felt cloches with contrasting top stitching.
Finally, pieces for evening events and winter weddings, made in felt or velvet and decorated with crystals, pearl or a touch of veiling that give a feminine touch to any ensemble: Marzi showed a felt headpiece with velvet bow and pin: Xenia Beigier wore a cheeky veil finished with crystal sand cat’s ears: Misa Harada a ‘wave’ of fur felt embellished with tiny crystals.
For further information on dates and venues for forthcoming WSN shows in Paris including Who’s Next & Premiére Classe please visit the website www.whosnext.com or @whosnext.paris and @premiereclasse.paris
I hope to see you there!
Carole
