Paris Fashion Week: Fire and face masks from Rick Owens
It's the last of the major fashion weeks for Fall/Winter 2012 collections and Globe Style's Amy Verner is there, dispatching from all the big shows at Paris Fashion Week. On Wednesday, she catches the latest designs from Nina Ricci, Rick Owens and Carven
Before tackling today’s Paris Fashion Week line-up, let’s briefly rewind to Wednesday’s late-night Mugler show. Designed by Nicola Formichetti with Romain Kremer, the collection began with fuzzy baby chicks, er, chic fur-sleeved guard women.Stephane Mahe / Reuters
Behold, a dress for Angelina Jolie’s upper things (sorry calves). The designers offered up their own take on the peplum trend with sectional flared bits both small (as shown here) …Stephen Mahe / Reuters
…And large, in this case projecting outward from a corseted waist.Stephane Mahe / Reuters
Designer Guillaume Henry has reinvigorated the venerable French fashion house, Carven, in just a few short seasons. For Fall, he continues his ingénue theme and puts a Parisienne twist on prim paisley.Jacques Brinon / AP
As if to subtly suggest a hint of vice alongside the virtue, Henry created a print out of Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights, a triptych that is over 500 years old. His selected portion depicts a pleasant, sybaritic scene.Jacques Brinon / AP
At first glance, the laser-cut pieces suggested a doily effect. But it soon became clear that Henry was referencing the lead framing of stained glass. Duly noted, the cardinal red hue.Jacques Brinon / AP
Good girl gone feisty. Ditto the one in the background wearing the little black dress. This is one of the freshest lines in Paris right now.Jacques Brinon / AP
With his second collection for Balmain, creative director Olivier Rousteing has maintained many of the rock rococo codes (hello, beading blitz) established in recent years. But wait, is that needlepoint?Jacques Brinon / AP
When not conflating Versailles with Vegas, Rousteing perfected a sexy, boxy jacket in various fabrications, from don’t-mess-with-me leather to formal velvet.Beniot Tessier / Reuters
I was surprised to learn that Rousteing’s starting point was a Fabergé egg. Then again, this Le Smoking-style evening suit embellished in a latticework of pearls confirms such decorative decadence. And no, now’s not the time to contemplate price.Benoit Tessier / Reuters
More options for Angie’s right leg! Here, the same decorative pattern repeated in a burnout treatment on the velvet.Jacques Brinon / AP
She may look like she’s hosting a sacrificial ceremony; but really, this is just the latest exploration of cloak-and-drape design from Paris-based American Rick Owens.Thibault Camus / AP
Knit facemasks. Yes, Owens went there. He also played a remix of a divisive new track by hip-hop artist Zebra Katz called Ima Read that is laced with an offensive term for women but is, in fact, about making sure she’s properly educated.Thibault Camus / AP
While the peachy hued leather jackets will inevitably appeal to his outerwear devotees, the check pattern might draw in new customers. Any other designer could play with check and no one would bat an eye. But for Owens, this bordered on radical.Thibault Camus / AP
In the program notes, Nina Ricci’s creative director Peter Copping revealed this collection would be “mildly nostalgic” – motivated by an imaginary young girl who discovers the wardrobes of her mother and grandmother. Here, our girl has decided to add some chiffon frisson to a black and white tweed suit.Stephane Mahe / Reuters
And here she seems to have gotten carried away with the scissors. The dropped waist combined with an exposed panty line (whether trompe l’oeil or real – it’s hard to tell) might prove a tad too extreme for lunching ladies or political wives. The deep burgundy is right on trend, though.Stephane Mahe / Reuters
There were no images capturing how Copping attached the gloves to a fur stole, which swung elegantly like a garland along the back. I’m still trying to figure out how this works logistically. Wouldn’t it inhibit the arms from moving freely? Closer investigation needed.Stephane Mahe / Reuters
Meet La Rue, one of Nina Ricci’s three new bags for Fall. The classic bowling shape is nice enough; but it’s the violet crocodile that really strikes.Stephane Mahe / Reuters