The return of the pannier - Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections

Fashion loves to look into the past. It looks back decades and even centuries to dictate the style of the future. From time to time, it selects a suggestion, a mood or a garment that, deconstructed, decontextualised and reassembled ad hoc, ends up in our wardrobes, alongside baggy jeans and ballet shoes. So it was with the corset, which went from being an instrument of female oppression to a symbol of empowerment, and so it is with the panier. It seems that designers have a magnetic fascination with all those elements of clothing that contribute to silhouettes that are far removed from natural forms.

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441586

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441587

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441584

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441585

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441571

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441572

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441573

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441574

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441575

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441576

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441577

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441578

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441579

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441580

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441581

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441595

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441594

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441582

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441596

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441593

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441592

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441591

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441590

The return of the pannier Rigid architecture has survived the centuries and is now returning to contemporary collections | Image 441589

Since the 2020 season, paniers have become a constant element in brands' proposals. We have seen them at Loewe, Balenciaga, Monse, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Dolce&Gabbana, Richard Quinn, Christopher Kane and many, many more. Paniers were also among the leading garments in the fashion shows at the last Milan Fashion Week, dedicated to the Autumn/Winter 2023 season. At Gucci, they were given a punk touch, with their extremely low waist, rivet-like metal rings and contrasting colours that emphasised their heart-shaped profile and essential lines; while at Max Mara, between maxi coats and wool suits, they became the starting point for a reflection on patriarchy and the perception of femininity in the 18th century.