At Paris Fashion Week, a Poverty of Imagination

Azzedine Alaïa liked to collect other designers’ fashion when he wasn’t making his own — and running a business and cooking lunch for friends. The Palais Galliera in Paris has opened an exhibition of his collection, a dazzling selection of the 20,000 pieces he kept in his couture house, and one thing that becomes apparent is that Alaïa loved women designers. And in the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s, there were many of them: Alix Grès, Madeleine Vionnet, Jeanne Lanvin, Coco Chanel, Augusta Bernard, and Claire McCardell. Their clothes almost always highlight the body with economy and ease. A dress from Vionnet or Grès looks as modern today as it did in 1935.

But something else becomes clear in this outstanding exhibit, curated by Olivier Saillard. These designers, and many male designers of the period, loved no-color: saturated reds, pale pinks and violets, aquamarine, a cerulean-blue satin gown from Jean Patou (1930) with the gleam of an automobile. “Azzedine learned a lot about color from them,” Saillard said. “The way to become timeless comes from color, more than the shape.”

Apparently, retail theft has gotten so bad Target is closing nine stores in response. At the same time, billion-dollar store makeovers are taking on the “retail apocalypse.” See the wondrous works from this weekend’s annual World of WearableArt international design competition and the winners of the 2023 International Pet Photography Awards. October is going to be a good month for TV. First fentanyl, now ghost guns — there’s something scary going on with NYC day cares. Angelina Jolie revealed the first look from her fashion line, Atelier Jolie. And in Miami, what started with Spanglish has become a whole new English dialect.

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