Fall 2016 Couture Season: 25 Collections, Guest Designers, and Fairy Tales

Vogue Runway recaps the fall 2016 haute couture season, which featured 25 collections. The Fédération de la Haute Couture invited guest members, including Giles Deacon (who launched a made-in-UK couture line after closing his ready-to-wear), Francesco Scognamiglio, Ronald van der Kemp, and Alberta Ferretti (with her Limited Edition line). Karl Lagerfeld presented Fendi's show at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, inspired by fairy tales and the Danish artist Kay Nielsen. Iris van Herpen used cymatics—visualizing sound waves—with a soundscape by Kazuya Nagaya. Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci referenced ancient Greece. Valentino's Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli marked Shakespeare's 400th death anniversary. John Galliano's Maison Margiela mixed streetwear with French revolutionary motifs. Viktor & Rolf reworked past garments into Dickensian designs. Other highlights included Chanel's behind-the-scenes focus, Armani Privé's velvet and crystal embroidery, and Schiaparelli's circus collection by Bertrand Guyon.