Chanel: flowers and fairy tales for innocent escapism. Armani Privé: the epitome of elegance

Not a contrast between nature and artifice, but rather the mimesis of nature through the artifice of what is man-made and imagined around the body: this is one of the central themes of Parisian couture at present, and if the whole thing seems rather hallucinatory and fairy-tale-like – dresses like hedgerows and lawns, feathered and mutated garments – it is precisely because the escape from reality, the stubborn and futile refuge in a parallel dimension are a fundamental human impulse, especially in difficult times, but not only then.

From Chanel, Matthieu Blazy draws inspiration from fairy tales but, in keeping with the bourgeois-pragmatic spirit that permeates the soul of the fashion house as defined by Gabrielle Chanel, he pays no attention to princesses, but rather to the other characters – more human and relatable – imagining an everyday adventure populated by scarecrows, straw-bale women, ladies in suits, young girls in their prime, brides and heroines in ‘revenge dresses’.

This is Blazy’s second couture collection, and the magnificent lightness of his debut already seems a distant memory, obscured by a deluge of intricate detailing, petal-like textures, weaves and embroidery. It shares the same aesthetic of uncontrolled accumulation as Jonathan Anderson’s work, but what seems unresolved at Dior is here imbued with an evident ease, a refreshing lack of effort – even if, at times, the sense of heaviness remains the same.

Blazy is at his best when he streamlines, lightens and strips things back: that’s where his Chanel collection shines and really comes into its own. The rest provides a great visual stimulus and whets the customers’ appetite, which is all well and good, although clearer editing would give the whole project a different meaning. The real issue, however, is precisely this: the current era holds clarity in such low regard that when it does emerge, it can be interpreted as monotony.

Silvana Armani, from Armani Privé, doesn’t overdo it. She stays on course, is convincing, and remains true to her vision. She opens with masculine elements and closes with feminine ones, weaving the entire message into a velvety tapestry of rich, luxurious faux blacks. “With this collection, I’ve tried to convey a different kind of sensuality: intense yet restrained,” she explains. “I believe that when a woman designs for other women, her perspective on seduction is naturally different: self-aware, subtle. My hope is to create something that leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.”