What did we expect from this much-anticipated season? 

A new, creative-led era for fashion? A reboot of the industry? A return to double-digit growth across the luxury behemoths?

Our second edition of System collections addresses those questions and more, while showcasing the looks of the season, as the dust settles on the conjecture that now accompanies each and every fashion month.

The 88-page portfolio reunites photographer Willy Vanderperre and stylist Olivier Rizzo with their friend and long-standing muse Julia Nobis. The resulting images – largely black and white; piercing and modern – bring the looks off the runway and under the starkness of studio lighting, returning the focus to the essence of fashion’s creative output: the clothes themselves.

Meanwhile, the issue’s conversations offer some context and perspective, both macro and micro, to a season defined by newness and expectation. In the days following Paris Fashion Week, we recorded conversations with 16 of the industry’s best-placed critics, commentators, creatives and catwalk stars to hear their thoughts and gain their perspective.