No matter how much we love New York, Paris is inarguably the fashion capital of the world. This exclusive biweekly version of Fashion on Fifth based at Parsons Paris highlights the international student fashion scene in the style capital of the world. Our returning writer Jane Lewis transports you beyond Fifth Avenue.
What can an outfit gain by eliminating color? This week for Fashion on Fifth Paris, I’m profiling achromatic and neutral outfits that don’t rely on flamboyant colors or patterns for their edge. Fashion has an obsession with black, and in the midst of Paris Fashion Week, the colorless color is an alluring choice to drift from one show to another with events and parties in between. It’s day; it’s night; it’s neither under nor overdressed. For those of us without influencer status, outfits don’t always need to be changed between events, hence the impulse to wear neutrals which seamlessly blend into any fashion scene.
I love an outfit change, but as I doom scroll this season’s collections between classes, time with friends, and necessary slumber (Bottega is my bedtime story), the multitude of content, garments, interviews, and critiques leave me with just enough brain power to reach for the most simple and reliable pieces in my wardrobe. Consuming fashion is exhilarating, but I need to make sure I look put together even when I feel overwhelmed. This is when neutrals shine. And sometimes for an early class or a late-night party, you might literally need to get dressed in the dark.
Shawn Pardo he/him — @shwansucks
Second-year fashion design student
“I’m really goth, and it’s comfortable for me to wear darker colors,” Shawn tells me. What works so well about an all-black outfit is that the textures and silhouette come to the forefront. The fur collar on Shawn’s leather jacket is a tactile contrast to his cropped mesh top. The sheeny leather of his bag and boots compliment the bootcut denim pants, and his silver belt and jewelry have a dark canvas to stand out on. Shawn was incredibly kind, and excited to get photographed, which has been the case with everyone I’ve met in Paris and particularly those I approached for this theme. But, I initially found it to be a bit intimidating to choose which students to profile this week, because in the words of monochromatic savant Yohji Yamamoto, black also adds an air of “I don’t bother you, don’t bother me!” to an outfit.
Grace Brosnan she/her — @gracebrosnanfanaccount
Third-year Strategic Design and Management student
Grace, who I assure you always looks chic and collected, says black is her go-to to maintain this look, even when it’s an illusion. “If I could wear the same thing every day I would. And I feel like wearing black is the equivalent,” she divulges to me. “The same way Einstein wore the same thing every day. It makes me feel put together even if I’m not.” A genius in her own right (because there’s only one Einstein), Grace has combined tall pointed boots with cuffed knee-length shorts, an almost-open knit cardigan, and a woven leather shoulder bag with black sunnies. She just looks good. Undeniably so. Instead of the color of her outfit absorbing light, it reflects it, creating a glow that follows her down the sidewalk. This is the beauty of simplicity.
Fifi Nappo she/her — @fifi.nappo
Second-year fashion design student
In our first all-white outfit of the week, Fifi has paired her black-and-white Ed Hardy knit sweater with light cargos and sneakers. So easy, so cozy, and makes her perfectly match the beautiful background of Parisian architecture. “I like monochrome,” Fifi says. “Color is cute for decor but it doesn’t work for me.” Perhaps Fifi decorates her life in saturated hues, but she doesn’t want to feel overwhelmed while looking in the mirror or bustling from place to place. Her hair pulled back communicates that she’s focused, and, in the least bitchy way, has more important places to be.
Sophia El-Qorchi she/her — @sophiaelquorchi
Second-year fashion design student
“I hate colors; they’re gross,” Sophia tells me while laughing, then acknowledges that she has a soft spot for navy blue. “That’s the furthest I’m gonna go.” Her cuffed black jeans, brown leather jacket, and tabi flats are the perfect uniform for a fashion design student who often feels overworked. Many of the greatest designers have their go-to outfits: Yohji Yamamoto in predictable black, Sarah Burton in jeans and a button-down, Phoebe Philo in tailored trousers and white sneakers. The greatest creatives don’t have the time to meticulously craft a look every day. But Sophia does it effortlessly, in her own neutral way.
Nick Ruch he/him — @nickrruch
Fashion design second-year student
Speaking of a uniform, Nick is perhaps wearing an outfit that we have all seen before and probably taken advantage of ourselves: a white T-shirt and jeans. “It never goes out of style,” he tells me, referring to his colorless ensemble (unless you count the red logo on his shirt). He says he usually wears all black because it’s easy, classy, and of course, matches everything. A simple outfit is, in my opinion, the best type of outfit, and Nick executes it perfectly. Blue beads tied onto his belt loops also deserve an honorable mention — I couldn’t escape this week without a little bit of color.
Abstract expressionist artists like Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler used vibrant and muted colors to elicit emotion from a viewer, leaving its interpretation up to the individual. No two people will react identically to a shade of blue or red or green. But what emotions are evoked from a lack of color? For some, especially those outside the world of fashion, neutrals and blacks can be confronting or even criminal.
While answering the question of why so many people choose to wear this dark color exclusively, Vanessa Friedman of The New York Times wrote about how a school in Texas banned all-black outfits because they were associated with depression. Can you believe that? My kid is going to be stylish from head to toe and if they want to wear black, so be it! We can laugh, but clothes are now undeniably linked to our personas. And frankly, our souls can often feel like they’re withering away under the pressure and stress of work or school. But that’s why we have fashion week! To overwhelm us a bit more, but also nourish us, feed us sartorial fantasies, and highlight the brilliant work of designers worldwide, no matter what colors (or lack thereof) they show on the runway.