McQueen Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2013
March 6, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
Held at the OTT Opéra Comique, Sarah Burton closed the fall fashion season with a collection of just ten pieces. Divided into five themes (communion, nuns, cardinals, popes, and angels) the designer, who just gave birth to twins, presented two dress variations for every theme. “From communion gowns to cardinals”, read the show notes, as we tried to take in every single detail of the ten extravagant, angelic appearances full of various religious iconography. It might have been just ten looks, with models covered head (literally, since all girls sported heavy decorated masks) to toe in handcrafted, pearl encrusted lace ensembles, Sarah must have had her hands full. And why would you show so much more of the same thing, when you can perfectly convey your message with just a small selection. A smart fashion lesson to learn, right at the end of this Paris Fashion Week.
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Hermes Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2013
March 6, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
Elegant, French, chic; some words to describe Christophe Lemaire’s fall collection for Hermès. Oh did we mention French? Held at the Lycée Henri-IV library the setting breathed unlimited luxury, as did the clothes. Only the best materials (fur, suede, leather and the best cashmere) were used for Lemaire’s effortless, classic looks. A white shirt, camel coat, black leather pants, a selection of loose suits and a black belted dress appeared timeless too. Although modernity was added in mid calf skirts, the way materials were mixed and a certain androgyny. The fresh faced French looking models carried every ensemble with maximum grace as coats and scarves tossed on their shoulders gave them just that careless touch that makes French style so desirable.
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Emanuel Ungaro Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2013
March 6, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
After Jeanne Labib-Lamour. Giles Deacon. Esteban Cortazar. Peter Dundas. Vincent Darré. Giambattista Valli, Estrella Archs and Lindsay Lohan, Fausto Puglisi is the latest creative making an effort to revamp Emanuel Ungaro’s label since the designer’s retirement over ten years ago. And the Italian designer did so by incorporating his own signature into the geometric, colorful heritage of Ungaro. “I wanted it to be very Ungaro, but with a graphic approach”, he stated backstage, before he sent out his party dress, short skirt, silk blouses and duo colored pants. He divided his tops and bottoms into parts with contrasting colors and prints. Bright yellow, blue, black, purple as well as polka dots and leopard prints. In line with his own work Puglisi added tons of golden (baroque) embroideries. A polka dot skirt with a black and white, structured turtle neck sweater embodied the perfect mix of sexual and fashion. We’re curious to see where Puglisi can take this.
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Saint Laurent Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2013
March 5, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
We doubt the labels founder would ever have come up with the collection we saw today. But it’s Hedi Slimane who’s in charge so we if he feels it’s time for a fresh breeze we’ll just follow his lead. And by fresh we might as well say younger. The Californian Grunge collection seemed to be aiming at a whole new fashion crowd. The kind of girl that would wear short dresses with oversize checked shirts, leather skirts and tops with ultra low V-necks. She’d combine embroidered hot pants with pink colored fur, a belted skirt with an all revealing sheer blouse. We imagine a girl changing her college appropriate look into something more daring, putting on some extra dark eyeliner right before class. A girl that would hit LA’s countless thrift shops to find the perfect dress rather than wandering around on Rodeo Drive. Saint Laurent’s price range might not be right up her alley, but as the customer changes, perhaps so will the label’s prices.
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Valentino Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2013
March 5, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
Perhaps the show could have had a few less dress variations in it, but we fully understand Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli for leaving them in, since they were all too beautiful. Mostly inspired by the work of Dutch artist like Vermeer the designduo introduced us to their minimal yet ultra elegant selection of mostly dresses. They started off with a A-line black dress, that had long sleeves and a standout lace-like collar and cuffs. Simple, but perfect. Variations to that dress came in blue, embroidered, printed, over the knee and eventually floor sweeping. Laser cut collars, cut outs and transparent parts, coats and a clean blue jumpsuit kept us on the edge of our seat. Not to mention the blue and white gowns decorated by a Delft ceramics pattern. The fact that we’re Dutchies has nothing to do with our opinion about this show. It was just beautiful.
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Givenchy Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2013
March 4, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
While Antony Hegarty (from Antony and the Johnsons) performed three songs and a star studded front row (of Kim & Kanye, Sky Ferreira, Nicole Richie, Ciara, Amanda Seyfried and Jessica Chastain) watched Riccardo Tisci’s latest hit collection being presented. For perhaps his most romantic Givenchy collection so far Tisci pulled inspiration from the brand’s archives. Not from the previous designer but from his own work. “It’s eight years this season that I’ve been at the house. I was like a gypsy—you know, gypsies are always recycling old clothes. It was really one of the most fun collections I’ve done in my career.” With the sweatshirt hype still being in full swing of course Tisci introduced a few pieces. This time around no sharks or rottweilers, but Disney’s Bambi, or half of her, on black sweatshirt worn with contrasting sheer skirts and snakeskin boots. Romantic flowers (of which some seemed to refer to his panthers and lilies collection) were mixed with sheer checks. Oversize sweaters had bright sequins too and waistbelts (or actually luggage binders) that created some sort of feminine silhouette. To make it a real fall collection fur, leather and bomber jackets were added to the mix, all beautifully printed and romantically colored. One of our most fun collections to watch too!
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Vivienne Westwood Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2013
March 4, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
“When you go back in time, you also enter the future”, was the message at Westwood. And so we watched her medieval inspired looks influenced by the “four corners” come down the runway. Heavy accessoires models with painted faces and plastic braided into their hair sported hooded capes, wool printed vests, scarf skirts, theatrical structured pieces and two metallic disco dresses. Yet there were more wearable pieces as well. Cute white dresses, power suits & skirts and a selection of embroidered designs. The collection was slightly more commercial than her previous ones, but generating sales isn’t Westwood’s main concern. The climate is and she didn’t forget to stress that as eco warrior claims could be seen printed on a series of tartan capes and a clear activist message on the show notes. That’s the Vivienne Westwood we all know.
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John Galliano Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2013
March 4, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
If Galliano was known for his over the top creations, styling and presentations Bill Gaytten toned it all down today. He came up with strict, structured, thick winter creations, that according to his show notes had a “geometric cut, drape, tough attitude and texture.” Strong, belted coats were mixed with skirts and wide legged pants. A series of blue creations with spattered pink paint interrupted the line up of heavy winter shades (green, black, blue, purple). Galliano wasn’t gone completely, but for fall Gaytten kept it much more simple, commercial if you will.
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Chloe Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW2013
March 4, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
For her fouth Chloe collection Clare Waight Keller seemed to have dressed a slightly younger customer. Her British influenced, boyish looks certainly had a bit of a college feeling to them. “Bare legs, dorm rooms, bike sheds, flirting”, read the show notes as models sported capes, sweatshirts and toggle coats, their satchel bags casually thrown on their shoulders. Halfway through the show it got more ladylike though with chic cocktail dresses and structured skirts that would work fantastically outside the school buildings. The ever so popular minimalistic approach was still fully visible. Yet a printed skirt with a navy blue knitted top and a creme colored dress with golden mesh top slightly stepped away from the super sober fashion that has been around for quite a few seasons now. But never change a winning team. And with Waight Keller’s younger approach and college touch his Chloe collection will have a large fanbase (of both mothers and daughters) in line once the collection is out at the end of summer.
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Jean Paul Gaultier Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear Paris FW2013
March 3, 2013 by tess
Filed under Fashion, Paris, womenswear
How many times can a designer reinvent his most successful pieces? At Jean Paul Gaultier it never stops as the French designer went along and introduced new versions of his famous cone-bra, trenchcoats and black & white stripes. He stepped away from the over the top eighties tribute he gave last season and toned it down a bit. Although it still was a full on JPG show with nothing but real show pieces. Strong bustier jackets, leather tops with a bandeau of fur, pop-y shadow prints on dresses and vests, floorsweeping, deep colored, plisse dresses and a series of metallic statement looks to close the show. Apart from Madonna, Dita von Teese or Gaga making a huge cone-bra/bustier order we assume those strong jackets will generate the biggest part of sales for upcoming fall.
