The Best Looks From the Spring/Summer 2023 Couture Shows in Paris

Jean Paul Gaultier’s latest couture guest designer is none other than the legendary Haider Ackermann, who hasn’t shown his namesake brand in almost three years. Thankfully, his ready-to-wear already bordered on couture, with a revelatory eye for tailoring on the female body (and male, for that matter—hi Timothée Chalamet). His dashing, breathtaking silhouettes were a lesson in restraint and form. With just over 30 looks, Ackermann dug into Gaultier’s archive to create collection that harkens back to the heyday of the ’90s supermodel (think: sauntering, turning, posing, and demonstrating the wondrous ability of clothes to create drama). As one of the premier colorists of our time, Ackermann debuted bold feathers over razor-sharp suiting, metallic bombers, and a very epic aubergine dress that channeled Diana Vreeland and Irving Penn’s photography. The near-silence of the music let the clothes do all the talking, providing one of the most refreshing and clear-minded runway presentations we’ve seen in quite some time.—Kevin LeBlanc, fashion associate