Christian Dior Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

The house of Christian Dior is still in transition. And while they are in this vacuum, the only thing the design-team can do is designing commercial stuff. The loyal customer still wants to buy new clothes, no?

Bill Gaytten showed a new, subtle version of the Bar jacket with a wide neckline and more streamlined silhouette. The collection never went to the extremes. The jacket was worn over organza blouses and bubble skirts done in airy fabrics. It looked pretty and feminine in pale colors as well as a few shots of red. The color was a light contrast to the graphic black-and-white check motif and geometric embroideries on shirts and dresses. For evening, it was a steady stream of filmy silks, plied with tulle and lace.

Hussein Chalayan Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2012

The Chalayan show started with a big act, of which we didn’t really get the purpose. A part Chalayan might just as well have skipped but luckily the clothes made it all worthwhile. The designs were minimalistic, yet there was more than enough to look at.

Like straight cut oversize blazers, long lean dresses, reflective disco shorts and printed tunics. Mostly done in plain shades of black, white, grey, lemon, apricot and some nature-inspired (Turkish and English floral) prints.

Looks felt modern and wearable. The porthole cut-outs, planes and hoodies made it a true Chalayan collection and gave the clothes an original, crazy touch.

A.F. Vandevorst Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2012

Kenya was the big inspiration for A.F. Vandevorst’s spring collection. The designers felt inspired by special African tribes to design unconventional clothes with even crazier accessories and hat pieces.

Their asymmetric looks were layered, fringed, tassled and embroidered to make sure they kept our attention. Military references were placed chests and shoulders.

A color palette of black, deep blue, red and camel didn’t feel very spring like, but the beautiful earthy toned paisley prints sure made up for that.

Headbands and extravagant Mohawk headpieces gave the collection even more character.

Welcome to Vandevorst’s warrior jungle!

Nina Ricci Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

Peter Copping presented and very chic and very French collection at Nina Ricci. But is was also charming and flirting with that typical Sixties haute couture vibe. The silhouette was curvy, the clothes bejeweled and the straw cage hats added an elegant touch.  Starting with constructed lingerie, Copping showed suited looks and dresses, both with full skirts and an hourglass silhouette, in laces, cloqués and printed jacquards. He embellished with delicate patchworks and encrustations of high-sparkle embroideries.

The prints were definitely retro, since the came from the archive of Zina de Plagny,  who’d done a lot of work for the house founder.

Streetfashion Paris Womenswear ss2012

What are you wearing during this fashionweek? Your Gucci-shoes, your latest Celine-dress or that vintage Givenchy? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashionweeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Paris Fashion Week.

Rick Owens Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2012

It were not necessarily bright summer looks at Rick Owens, but it was a great collection. Lean column dresses, long tops combined with knee length shorts and all kind of other unexpected sculptural silhouettes were shown. All in black and white, of course.

With their hair flat on top of their hats, bleached eyebrows and orange-colored lips, Owens’ models looked anything but natural beauties. But of course that’s never the point at an Owens show.

The Californian designer likes his looks to be edgy, out of the ordinary. And that’s why he has such a solid fan base, ‘cause don’t we all wanna look special or at least of bit different from others?

Ann Demeulemeester Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2012

Today Ann Demeulemeester presented us with some witches. All of them were dressed in black, white or a mix of both. Half of them had leather floppy hats on, the other half wore their hair stuck to their heads in a creepy kind of way, like they’d just crawled out of a swamp.

Yet no matter how Gothic and spooky their appearances looked, there was still a beautiful side to the collection. These were good witches in airy, sheer designs with their boobs on display. They showed their love for long silhouettes, tassels floral details, loose knitwear and the ‘color’ black.

Like a true Demeulemeester collection there was not a real color in sight. Yet those cream and white shades and the degrade pieces made sure there was enough variation.

Many fashion fans already claimed this collection as the best of the season and we must agree. Even without the bright shades, the pastels, the floral prints, the bikini’s and the flirty dresses Ann Demeulemeester showed a killer spring collection.

Watch the video of the show below

Rue du Mail Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2012

A beautiful, soft, subtle handcrafted collection, that’s what Martine Sitbon showed us today. With every look presented on the catwalk you could see a lot of effort was put into it. Embroidery detailing, stitched patterns, beautiful pleats and watercolored prints made the collection unique and precious.

The silhouette was a mix of tight over the knee pencil skirts and loose-fitting, night gown-y dresses.  Colors changed from black and white to cobalt blue, yellow, rust and rose. The styles were a mix of Morocco (caftan) and China (watercolored prints) and presumably even more influences Sitbon discovered on her trips abroad.

Balmain Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

Now Olivier Rousteing took over the design-helm at Balmain from Christophe Decarnin the story of superrich and superglamorous still continues. After all, Rousteing was Decarnin’s right hand for years. Las Vegas and bullfighters were his source of inspiration, so there was lots of shimmer on gold or black leather, matador-jackets, suede bustiers and blazers.

The new designer surprised the audience too, with denim skirts and loose (!) pants. What he took from Las Vegas were motel wallpaper patterns for jeans and blazers and floral bedspreads worked into minidresses. Overall it was less rock ‘n roll but still young and sexy.

Balenciaga Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

It must be so embarrassing when you invite the creme de la creme of the fashionworld at your show and the benches you arranged crash while they are seated. It happened at Balenciaga this morning. And for the first time even that fashion-elite had to stand during the show.Luckily for Balenciaga and designer Nicolas Ghesquiere the clothes mad the audience forget they were feel uncomfortable. The collection was about volume and structure. Oversize was Ghesquiere next big theme this season, trying to discover how body and ultra light fabric work together.

There were high-shine, round-shouldered jackets light as air, which  came in graphic color plays over wide but otherwise tiny shorts. The dresses were impressive ,  whether in ottoman knits in  simple  T-shirt shapes or complicated fabric collages.

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