Paris Fashion Week '24: Emerging Brands
Dries Van Noten leaving the helm of his namesake label marks a significant point in fashion history. This upcoming Paris Fashion Week will see the designer’s final show and mark the last time we see his avant-garde, bold and patterned luxe pieces. With this ending, we also see a new beginning on the runway, with a range of emerging designers showcasing their collections on the Parisian runway.
This new generation of talents span from across the globe from China to Guadeloupe to Italy, and all bring something different to design. Their collections are more than just garments but represent something bigger than themselves, whether it be sustainability, spotlighting their heritage or focusing on locally made pieces.
Amongst the parties, fire streetwear and new sneaker launches, these brands should be on your radar this Paris Fashion Week; many of whom will be having their debut shows this month.
Gams Note
Gams Note is a brand founded in 2021 by Alessandro Marchetto and this is the brand’s first time at PFW, most recently showcasing their AW24 collection in Milan earlier this year. The brand's aim is to create a total look for men that is completely Made in Italy, using selected fabrics saved from the waste production of high-end fabric producers.
The main inspiration comes from extensive research and deconstruction of the world of men's uniforms, especially scouting and outdoor wear. The intention is to create a "polite uniform" by revealing the aesthetic values and ethical principles of the brand.
For sustainable reasons, the collections are designed without seasonality, produced in small quantities, with garments suitable for multiple occasions, easily layered, and with a very high attention to the product and its wearability.
C.R.E.O.L.E
At the heart of C.R.E.O.L.E is Vincent Frédéric-Colombo, the Paris-based artist with a versatile individuality and a Guadeloupean heritage. Making his PFW debut this year, Vincent aims to debunk the exoticised narratives surrounding his culture that are so-often perpetuated by European perspectives. These designs break away from traditional menswear with an embrace of unisex style.
Over the past decade, Vincent has successfully ventured into various realms from casting director to co-founder of LA CREOLE, which organises hugely popular underground parties. In 2022, C.R.E.O.L.E (Conscience Relative à l’Émancipation Outrepassant Les Entraves) was created- Vinent’s own brand firmly rooted in his Caribbean identity and as a celebration of the prosperity of the Creole community.
C.R.E.O.L.E SS24 debut collection draws inspiration from Coco-La-Fleur, the charismatic main character of Christian Laura’s 1978 film ‘Coco-La-Fleur, Candidat’. The items are a blend of stripey shirts, loose suits, sparkly boxing shorts and reinterpreted madras print sets as office-wear meets beach attire.
Ouest Paris
Founded in 2022 by Arthur Robert, Ouest Paris is a mix of a designer brand, streetwear and denim. The designer merges together his French roots having Parisian influence, the coastal tone of Biarritz and a touch of California.
With 2024 seeing the brand as an official feature on the PFW calendar, the brand has stuck to its key design language- raw denim, skate-inspired pieces, folk volumes, workwear details and durable fabrics. Ouest Paris offers a cool and creative complete wardrobe, with designs being environmental and socially conscious.
CARNET-ARCHIVE
South Korean label CARNET-ARCHIVE has just made its pfficial global debut in Milan and is coming to PFW. The label is both a creative outlet and an amalgamation of contemporary clothing with avant-garde artistry. For their SS24 collection, co-founders Halyn Kim and Youngdae Kong draw inspiration from discarded materials scattered across cities to form the structural and aesthetic basis of their designs.
Entitled “TRACE,” the ready-to-wear collection is made up of monochromatic, genderless looks re-developed from the label’s “CONCEPTS” pieces in the past. In continuation of CARNET-ARCHIVE’s mission to advocate ideas of architectural deconstruction, the collection plays on the lone between creation and destruction. This is shown in their silhouettes, in pieces like their Denim Jacket with mixed fabrics and paneling and to the flare-type Denim Trousers that have dystopian appeal.
Valleyouth
Valleyouth is a menswear brand founded in 2012 by stylist Li Wenjie and landscape designer Geng Hualiang. Their brand is defined by nature-inspired designs twisted with a youthful spin i.e. valley youth. The brand, which expanded to womenswear and lifestyle pieces, is also making their PFW debut this year.
The Chinese brand features elegant yet creative designs, which creates their own poetic world and is part of the CHINA WAVE project, which is a collaboration between Pitti Uomo and the China National Garment Association. Just like their previous collection, this debut runway portrays youth as a state of mind, blending an independent attitude with a quest for freedom.
Paris Fashion Week 2024 officially kicks off from the 18th of June, showing us looks from some iconic brands, welcoming in some new faces, and saying goodbye to a fashion legend.
Which up and coming brands or designers do you think we should check-out?