Paris Fashion Week kicks off with films from Grace Wales Bonner and Cecilie Bahnsen

British designer Grace Wales Bonner kicked off the Paris Fashion Week schedule yesterday introducing her spring summer 2021 men’s and womenswear collections with an on-schedule film.

Created with director Jeano Edwards, the fashion flick marked the LVMH prizewinner’s Paris Fashion Week debut and continued her work to explore connections between Britain and the Caribbean, through an intimate snapshot of Jamaica that was accompanied by a digital zine.

The collection itself explored the early eighties origination of dancehall music in Jamaica and featured sporty tailoring in striped satin, elevated jockey silks and patchworked corduroy in electric blue. A continued collaboration with adidas Originals delivered slim line tracksuits in pink and ivory crochet, canvas and leather plimsolls and ivory topstitched football boots. From brown striped tailoring wool to crepe pyjamas with frayed edges, there was an emphasis on ease, and fluid silhouettes that worked for both menswear and womenswear.

The Paris Fashion Week schedule will continue over the course of the next week and, just as in London and Milan, will comprise a blend of digital and physical shows in what has been coined a ‘phy-gital’ showcase.

Also embracing a digital format yesterday was Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen, who made her Paris Fashion Week debut with an on-schedule film revealing a collection of her signature romantic, open-back dresses reworked in sequins, organza and recycled fabrics, and balloon-silhouetted outerwear created in partnership with British heritage brand Mackintosh.

This afternoon Dior will present Maria Grazia Chiuri’s spring/summer 2021 collection via a physical show with a very restricted covid-friendly guestlist, that will also be livestreamed on TikTok.

Later in the week Loewve, Giambattisti Vialli and Ellie Saab will all embrace digital formats, with Sunday bringing a digital reveal of Matthew Williamson’s first collection for Givenchy. Others such as Balmain, Chloe, Isabel Marant and Gabriella Hearst meanwhile plan to hold physical shows.

The event will bring fashion month to a close on October 6, with physical runway shows that day from Chanel, Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton.