I was looking at the reviews of last week's PFW and was really struck to see how practically everybody actively hated the shows of the storied French couture houses. It might just be related to poor designers' choices, but it led me to think about what they could still bring to fashion in the 21st century. The designers of Dior, Chanel, Saint Laurent or even Givenchy are stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they remain too much within the houses' codes, they would be criticized for only rehashing the archives of the brand's founder. If they veer too much away from those same codes, they will be accused of ruining the brand's heritage.
In purely creative terms - not taking into account the fact that the livelihood of thousands of employees depend on these houses' financial success and that they employ fantastic craftspeople - is it really relevant to keep on producing clothes in 2022 under these monikers? Are there still new/interesting ways today to make a Chanel tailleur, a Bar jacket or a Saint-Laurent smoking?
In purely creative terms - not taking into account the fact that the livelihood of thousands of employees depend on these houses' financial success and that they employ fantastic craftspeople - is it really relevant to keep on producing clothes in 2022 under these monikers? Are there still new/interesting ways today to make a Chanel tailleur, a Bar jacket or a Saint-Laurent smoking?