If French Women Moved to Arizona, This Is What They Would Wear

Welcome to Runway Matters, where we're delivering notes straight from the runway so you can quickly digest the most important trends and noteworthy moments from the F/W 18 shows.

As the sound of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” filled the room at the Isabel Marant show, feet in the audience started tapping. And the music laid the foundation for what was to come. Models stomped out wearing southwestern prints and fringed tops and silver-tipped cowboy boots—and the inspiration of the American West was immediately evident. As an Arizonan myself (with a predilection for all things French), I can only imagine that these outfits are what cool Parisian women would throw on each day if they relocated to the Southwest. Among those that come to mind are Jeanne Damas, Caroline de Maigret, and Alma Jodorowsky, who I sat directly across from—French women who embody the spirit of Isabel Marant and Parisian girl cool.

Americana, and an emphasis on the mystic American West, have continued to be at play in the minds of designers for the last few seasons. But with an endorsement from Isabel Marant, we can really envision the Western trend being adopted into the wardrobes of cool women everywhere. Here, find details to know from the show.

Item We Will Be Wearing: Cowboy Boots

A continuation of the rising cowboy boot trend we’ve seen for the last few seasons (on the runways at Calvin Klein and Céline and Chloé and countless others), Isabel Marant just solidified them as a must-have item. Both the very wearable ankle boot style as well as the more directional thigh-high style seen on the runway are sure to be runaway hits.

When Comes to Coats, Go Oversize

Boxy coats were a running theme on the runway. Paired with slim-fitting jeans or worn on their own as dresses, the oversize suiting was perhaps a nod to laid-back cowboys in the films of John Cassavetes and Jim Jarmusch, who Marant referenced as inspiration for the collection.