Dawei AW23

I arrived in Paris earlier in the day and like the whirlwind that Paris is, I suddenly found myself at my first show within a few hours of dropping off my luggage. Sure I was tired and no I did not even change out of my airplane clothes (a detail that I will later regret), but there I was catching the 12 train, connecting to the 1 train and walking 7 minutes to the Dawei show.

It was technically the second day of Paris Fashion Week, but it was my first day. I was enthusiastically walking up to the line to see the crowd of Street Fashion enthusiasts awaiting various photographers' attention. In line, I watched the pre show. A woman in Dawei and a head scarf walking across the street and back again, up and down the street, posing with different props in the streets... I suddenly realized that I was in a large number of her pictures in the background. Then I noticed the person behind me, wearing a red Stewart tartan kilt with an East Asian styled jacket. I told him how fabulous he looked and we should photobomb this influencer's pictures. We laughed and struck up a lively conversation and before we knew it, the woman in front of us joined in. She was excited to be at her first fashion show as she was in town with DressX. When it was time to file in, I almost wished that I had more time to chat with my new friends in line. I found this type of camaraderie very rare at Paris Fashion Week and it marked my first magical moment of the week.

The Dawei show was intensely packed. Then suddenly, as if on que, a hush blanketed the crowd and light-hearted classical music commenced. The first look I saw was a corseted handkerchief hem dress in black. Admittedly, it was a little hard to see through the crowd but I can tell that it moved beautifully and the texture was just pure luxury. Wheat colored corseted trench coats with voluminously full circle skirts followed. Colors of nature were abundant in this collection. Although it was a Fall/Winter collection, it vibed more Spring. There were pastel sky blues and vibrant grass greens with deeper emerald green tones and aubergine. The textiles were classically magnificent, the way they moved with and against the body, dancing with every movement. The expensive sheen, weight and structure of the finely woven wools can be felt from a hundred yards away.

Having been inspired by palaces and court life of the 19th century, Dawei presents this collection not as an homage to the past but as a reinvention of how the past would have been designed in present time. It resulted in a fresh take in traditional silhouettes and a reinvention of styles through innovative textiles and patterns. The base of this collection are shades of grey and brown and a brown checkered pattern. Dramatic pops of color appear within a predominantly earthtone landscape. Every proportion was presented in a dramatic scale for this collection. The voluminous gigot sleeves paired well with accordion skirts which were cut extremely full. Corsets were utilized to bring the volume back into the form. As the show came to an end, the final walk was accompanied by a Bridgerton styled classical rendition of the Smashing Pumpkins song, "1979". I could not think of a more perfect way to wrap up this magical beginning to my Fashion Week.