The Fall-Winter 2018-2019 Fashion Shows Take Place in Unconventional Venues

Once again, fashion houses sought to break away from the traditional to showcase their Fall-Winter 2018-2019 collections. The goal remains to surprise by creating original set designs in unusual locations: Grand Palais, Musée Rodin, Trocadéro, Petit Palais, and even an elementary school in the 15th arrondissement.

An unusual venue for Chanel inevitably means the Grand Palais.

It has now become a tradition for Chanel to showcase its clothing and accessories under the glass roof of the Grand Palais, always set against equally sumptuous backdrops. It was in a forest more real than life that the models walked for the new Fall-Winter 2018-2019 collection. Karl Lagerfeld envisioned this time a highly realistic set, featuring towering trees, branches covered in moss, and a floor strewn with fallen leaves.

The Rodin Museum: An Unconventional Venue for Dior Collections

No, we are not at Nanterre University in May 1968, but indeed in 2018 at the Rodin Museum, where the latest Dior show took place. It is in the museum’s garden that an ephemeral structure housed the collection for the upcoming winter season. For the occasion, some feminist protest signs were brought out, reminiscent of those that could have been held by an angry student during the beautiful month of May. It was, in any case, a way for Maria Grazia Chiuri, the brand’s artistic director, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the events of ’68.

An Ephemeral Structure at the Trocadéro for Yves Saint Laurent

The latest Yves Saint Laurent collection was created at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. With winter temperatures making it impossible to hold the show outdoors, the Yves Saint Laurent event of the season took place in an ephemeral structure that surely piqued the curiosity of passing tourists. For the upcoming winter, Anthony Vaccarello envisions a woman who is little affected by the cold. She often wears shorts and ankle boots, giving her a rock-inspired, bold look—though only the least cold-sensitive clients will be able to pull off this style.

The Petit Palais: Ephemeral Venue for the Latest Simon Porte Jacquemus Collection

For Simon Porte Jacquemus, the rising star of Parisian fashion, each season is unique and different from the last. The designer consistently draws inspiration from his personal experiences: the south of France where he grew up, his late mother, and Morocco, where he loves to recharge. L’Amour d’un Gitan, La Bomba, Le Souk—the names of his collections simply reflect his journey and the people he has encountered. Throughout the seasons, the young designer enjoys exploring different neighborhoods and venues to showcase his creations. Last season, it was the Marais and the Picasso Museum; this time, for “Le Souk,” his upcoming winter collection, he chose the Champs-Élysées and the Petit Palais.

According to Carven, the most unusual location in the capital is an elementary school.

Carven decided to go back to school for the presentation of its latest collection. Serge Ruffieux chose the setting of an elementary school in the 15th arrondissement, located on Rue Mademoiselle, to unveil his vision of women’s fashion for the upcoming winter season. The audience, seated on small black benches, was able to discover chunky cotton sweaters worn over light organza skirts or very strict-looking blouses, buttoned all the way up to the collar. The decor and staging were perfectly chosen to host his schoolgirls, with a look that was half angel, half demon.