Couture isn't just a type of fashion: It's a craft, an art form, a movement rooted in heritage and legacy. It includes clothing made from silicone, pleats that take 200 hours to fold, and sequins that get tacked on individually by hand. It also happens to be the twice-a-year time that editors, bloggers, celebrities (seriously, have you seen Celine Dion nailing the Paris show circuit?!), and more gather to "ooh" and "ahh" over these one-of-a-kind gems. Oh, and to show off a little bit of their own aesthetic, too.
For some, gowns, cocktail dresses, and anything sparkly is reserved for special events only. But for Couture Week (and its anything-goes ethos), wearing those over-the-top items you love is what makes the days running from runway to runway so damn worth it. Ahead, see the silk-y, satin-y, drop-dead looks from Couture Fashion Week that gave the catwalks themselves some serious competition.
Clashing florals, coordinating florals, same difference.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
A lesson in making the streets your runway, courtesy of queen Catherine Baba herself.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Swap the leather jacket for a Thrasher tee, and you've got 2016's version of model off-duty style.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Finally, Taylor Swift took off those Vetements boots, and let the rest of the world have a chance.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Jacket over the shoulders: classic Fashion Week.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
#FeelYou.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Can you spot the Hidden Mickey?
Photographed by Emily Malan.
White before Labor Day, white after Labor Day. Here's an outfit that proves it really doesn't matter.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Alternative suiting: Chop off the sleeves, make the hem asymmetrical.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Space cadet? Lady Gaga?
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Throw your bag over your backside.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Off-the-shoulder, evening edition.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Grandma heels or princess shoes? Either way, we're obsessed.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Breathable cutouts make a sweater a little more summer-ready.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Eye see you.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Pajama set as a pantsuit? We dig it.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Lights, camera, Chanel!
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Purple Haze, Purple Shades.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Just hanging in Paris, buying some postcards.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Do we spy some of our favorite Insta-slides?
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Three times the style, three times the fun.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
A little choker goes a long way.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Is that a harness we see?
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Make a statement from behind.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Graphic tee + miniskirt + bomber jacket = weekend uniform.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Take it back to the Victorian Era with an extra-voluminous skirt.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Crop the top.
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Can we talk about this hair tuck for one sec?
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Vive la color!
Photographed by Emily Malan.
Bonjour, Angelina Giovanna Ballerina.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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