A model presents a creation by French designer Bouchra Jarrar during the Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Haute Couture collection show on July 4, 2011 in Paris.PIERRE VERDY/AFP / Getty Images
Style reporter Amy Verner is covering the major shows at Paris Couture Fashion Week this week. Follow her on Twitter @amyverner.
BOUCHRA JARRAR
The Designer
Bouchra Jarrar may not be a household name - yet - but before going solo, she honed her skills at Christian Lacroix after spending a decade as Balenciaga's studio director.
The Show
Jarrar stuck to the same venue as last season, the Odéon Théâtre de l'Europe. Sure, it ain't broke, but the seating which spanned various rooms and spills into the second floor mezzanine area made for a fractured arrangement.
The Statement
Her palette - black, slate grey and a solid amount of Yves Klein International Blue - conveyed a message of graphic consistency that resonated as strongly as silhouette.
In fact, on that count, Jarrar eschewed heavy structure for loose shift dresses that were secured with side belts and tops that flapped and revealed hints of skin in unexpected places (a side panel at the back)
The Effect
Jarrar's fourth show suggests the Moroccan designer continues to be more influenced by the Balenciaga school of minimalism than Lacroix's more-is-more French flamboyance. A band of silk, like solid coloured ties pieced together, appeared throughout the 17 outfits. Better this than the micro black and white stripe, which had an optical illusion effect if stared at too intensely. When she's not working with georgette silk, she's using a streamlined rayon knit.
This is ideal city wear; that it's couture is a bonus.
The Takeaway
Couture isn't about being excessive. It's about the designer having an additional outlet to finessing his or her design process. Jarrar is one to watch; that much is certain. Whether she pushes further or stays in what seems to be her safe zone will determine whether we will be bandying about the name BOOSH-ra JAR-ar a few years hence.
Amy Verner