Paris Fashion Week: Dior looks back to forge ahead, Lanvin celebrates
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.
Once again, Christian Dior is looking back in order to forge ahead. Bill Gaytten continues to design the collection until a successor to John Galliano is named. His opening look: a rounded jacket in a muted hound’s-tooth pattern with lighter pleated silk skirt. Textural and tasteful, if a tad déjà-vu.
These tonal shades of wintry purple felt fresh — certainly an alternative to all the burgundy. Another nice touch: the way the leather panel ran from neckline to hemline on a soft diagonal.
I liked the haziness of this print, which program notes referred to as “antique rose.” Hemlines remained conservative throughout the collection, falling at or slightly below the knee.
The construction of the bodice on this gown was among the collection’s few weaknesses. Instead of a traditional peplum, the volume here ends up looking like a bow flipped on its side.
Dior has proven resilient without a megawatt designer and Gaytten has now delivered three laudable collections. So the fashion world waits and wonders how Dior wants to be perceived: assertive and directional or consistently elegant. Perhaps neither is the wrong choice.
Hussein Chalayan is a conceptual designer who applies micro craftsmanship to macro themes beyond fashion — from politics to aviation and safety. For fall, he titled the collection “Domisilient”(no explanation provided) and the message was soft yet streamlined. Each tailoring tweak — spot that hemline jog — seemed carefully considered.
Some of his designs were past (Mod), present (colour blocking) and future (holographic material) combined. This outfit, in particular, looks comfortable in a space age-y way.
Chalayan’s runway backdrop was motion sensitive; coloured dots traced the models’ movements and bleeped or made static sounds which each step. These models are wearing sheath dresses with giant cutouts that reveal body-skimming layers underneath.
The final grouping of looks from Chalayan resembled sandwich boards, with rigid front and back pieces connected by fabric panels at the sides. Do not attempt a hug.
Barbara and Lucia Croce debuted their first designs for the historic French house Vionnet with a pre-fall collection that was impressive in its focus on restrained formal dressing. This collection, presented to a larger audience on Friday, moved further into day wear which gives the label more relevance today. Here, long-haired fox is inlaid atop sheared beaver.
It is not entirely coincidental that they explore the tailoring permutations possible from a simple V. Just try counting. I can spot at least a dozen. Of course, the broader message is that they understand how to shape fabric.
One of the Croces' red carpet worthy gowns. This is when the difference between their style and their predecessor's, designer Rodolfo Paglialunga, comes strongly into view. Playful touches have been swapped for subdued. Then again, who's to say what next season holds.
French designer Isabel Marant is unapologetic about her love for America — specifically its diverse fashion archetypes. This season, it seemed as if she rummaged through thrift stores for cowboy wares, reinterpreting rodeo shirts with their embellished yolks as a flirty mini-dresses.Thibault Camus
Marant also excels at making slouch appear soigné. But her American sportswear approach is not inexpensive and these butterfly jeans may stray too far into twee territory for her customer.
More yolks! This time along the hips. It’s a totally charming dress, in a saloon curtain kind of way. As for those cowboy booties (not shown): just call them photo shoot-out fresh.
Designer Alber Elbaz is celebrating his tenth anniversary with the label this year. Celebrations commenced before the show; tables running the length of the runway brimmed with bite-sized savory treats and flutes of champagne. Paparazzi bait included music artist Pharrell, Dita Von Teese and Tilda Swinton.
Elbaz keeps moving the Lanvin brand forward by shifting between different attitudes: sometimes serious, sometimes sensuous but always seductive. For Fall, he set aside his usual draping in favour of smoother, more molded silhouettes.
With Lanvin, the costume jewellery and accessories are as coveted as the ready-to-wear. A statement bib like this puts the ooh la la into Lanvin.
It’s hard to resist ruffles that look like whipped cream. It’s a wonderful testament to Elbaz’s spirit and skill that a dress so flagrantly 80s can look so exciting and sharply designed today. Here’s to another decadent decade, Alber!
Just when the show seemed over, Elbaz appeared and announced he would sing a little song (and that he had rehearsed three times, how cute). It was Que sera, sera. A fitting choice for a business that — to thrilling and maddening extents — is always in a state of flux.