Paris Fashion Week 2018 kicked off on February 27th and presented a great deal of cleverly structured and architectural designs. The Daily Beast describes these incredible details as “dressing heroines for battle,” and I couldn’t agree more. Designs featured bell sleeves, puffed shoulders, draped capes, and high necklines. There was a nod to the conservative aspect of fashion, demonstrating that women don’t always need to show a lot of skin to look elegant and beautiful. Fashion designers Esha Sethi Thirani and Alleira Batik strategically dressed their models in garments that radiated courage and power without discounting femininity.

Thirani placed great emphasis on Earth tones and turned to an ancient Indian technique involving painting fabrics to create artisan designs and intimate details. While acknowledging older design strategies, her collection overall was very modern, featuring models who posed as everyday women in their own private stories.

Alleira Batik also concluded a very modern collection. She too introduced new designs using Earth tones, specifically varying shades of tan and brown. Batik additionally made fashion history by beginning her show with model Madeline Stuart. Stuart has been widely considered as the first professional model with Down Syndrome. She thanked Batik on Instagram after the runway show, writing, “Paris Fashion Week that’s a wrap, thank you @alleira_batik and @oxfordfashionstudio for keeping my dream alive and believing in #diversity and #equality. We are one and we are the future,” and she is absolutely correct. It is so incredible to see such big steps toward a future where equality and diversity will not only be present but can be expected.

As Paris Fashion Week came to a close on March 6th, we will remember the groundbreaking steps that designers have taken toward a progressive future. Critics may regard this week as a simple attempt to display fashion garments, however it has proved to be so much more. In a world where women and people with disabilities must constantly prove themselves, the world of fashion has challenged societal norms and set us on track for a progressive future that is hopefully not too far ahead of us.