Peet Dullaert showcases a collection of fluid silhouettes for Haute Couture in Paris.
It’s a gloomy day in Paris – the temperatures have dropped accordingly and everyone makes use of the occasion to wear headscarves, a trend we were groomed to expect from the high fashion runways of last year. We’re headed for the Institut Neerlandais, the chosen location for the Peet Dullaert show, scarce moments away from the Musée D’Orsay. It’s a nice part of Paris, albeit a quiet one.
As is often the case with fashion shows, we see the people before the building itself. A lengthy queue of young fashionistas, dressed in attires that ranging from streetwear to more conservative elegance, patiently wait for the 14’00 mark. It’s an eclectic crowd, and their fashion shows it; statement pieces, patterns and textures galore. It may very well be zero degrees outside, but many attendees don’t risk ruining their curated outfits with an outdoor jacket, instead succumbing themselves to the January cold.
The show itself is held in the building’s first floor, with three rooms that open up to each other, a serpentine paper bench marking its seating. Students form the new Parsons Paris school populate the standing area, whilst industry professionals, personalities and buyers take their seats ahead of the production. Besides the crafty bench, the room is otherwise bare, comprised of white walls and wooden floors, an effective backdrop to contrast against the Printemps-Été 2023.
For this particular collection Peet Dullaert showcases an obvious appreciation for movement. He describes it as an appreciation for “Eolian force” which becomes a guiding architect in the collection’s shape creation. Models strut in blue hues and pinks, their dresses hand-crafted creations which relish in chiffon. An admiration for silhouette, de-constructed and put back together shines through.
Peet Dullaert runs down the serpentine runway as the collection draws to a close. He’s celebrated by the attendees, amongst which we highlight the iconic Sylvia Gobbel, dressed in head to toe blue Dullaert. The room empties slowly, people sticking behind to take pictures in the Institut Neerlandais’ grand staircase, before continuing with their frantic fashion schedule for the day.