Courrèges Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear: Sexual Healing

Joelle Diderich
·2 min read
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At some point during Wednesday morning’s Courrèges show, the set began to heave. In tandem with the heavy breathing on the soundtrack, the center of the white floor dramatically rose and fell. It seems that Paris is having an “année érotique.”

“In search of a thrill,” was how creative director Nicolas Di Felice summed up the theme of his collection backstage.

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While Saint Laurent took naked dressing to the extreme for fall 2024 with its outfits made from hosiery fabrics, Di Felice suggested a more self-sufficient approach. Models strutted with one hand tucked into the single front pocket on the crotch of skinny flared pants and below-the-knee skirts.

Trenchcoats with funnel necks evoked secret assignations, while the spare straps slipping off shoulders and dangling from hems suggested the act of getting undressed. Bra tops as brief as censorship strips were paired with everything from a sarong-style black leather skirt to a chubby faux fur coat, while one pair of sunglasses tied at the back, blindfold-style.

Di Felice said it was about a search for connection and touch in a world filled with strife — call it sexual healing.

He had teased the theme with his pre-collection, which drew a parallel between André Courrèges ‘60s “cosmonauts” and fetish culture, but the mood here felt more sensual. It started with the gesture of draping a silk scarf, reflected in the twisted dresses with sleeves wrapped around the neck.

“It’s the first time I’ve done bias draping,” noted the designer, who three years into the job feels more comfortable taking risks.

He was aiming for a weightless sensation, heightened by the rectangles of fabric suspended on sheer body stockings, and the stripped feathers that bristled like goosebumps on items like a nude twisted top with a single glove attached.

Much of his success in reviving Courrèges has hinged on courting new customers while appealing to the Space Age label’s historic fans. That cross-generational appeal was reflected in his eclectic front row, which included rapper Saweetie, actress Juliette Binoche and K-pop band Itzy. Just as well, then, that his brand of seduction won’t leave you waiting to exhale.

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Launch Gallery: Courrèges Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear Collection

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