I had a hard time with Paris I couldn't decide on my top five designer shows for the week. So I'm adding honorable mentions for Balmain and Chanel because I want you to see what's young and fresh.
Christopher Decarnin was under bed rest for rumored depression and didn't show up for his showing of the Balmain collection.
I can understand his fashion depression, I get a little depressed too when I see what half the world wears on a daily basis. He ditched the punk inspiration from the spring season, moved along and glammed it up.
There was inspiratioon of Ziggy Stardust with the black jumpsuit and fur shoulder piece on Freah. The pant for Fall is cuffed and stops by the knee over a lace up boot. The metallic suits and strong shouldered blazers define the Balmain girl and moves the house towards the future.
Karl Lagerfeld created an exceptional collection for Chanel and showed it as a full on production. The opening of a giant Chanel box that produced this bright light on the dim dark foggy wooden runway. As the girls stomped their way down the twisted plank in distressed denim leggings, cropped tweed, combat jackets and shredded chiffon.Stella Tennant epitimized the collection in a sequined jacket over a shawl collard tux with biker boots. The jumpsuits looked like they were made for the wife of a vampire, the quilted one on Danielle that replicated the signature bag was genius. The collection was a look at how girls want to dress these days a little mix of street and high fashion, downtown meets uptown and it's a look that is appealing to the eyes.
Now for my top five favorites from Paris, the masculine meets feminine trend continued, overloads of organza and tons of black and sheer.
Sarah Burton showed her second collection for McQueen at Marie Antoinette's prison. It was the site of one of Alexander Mcqueen's most memorable shows. You know? The one with the live wolves on the runway. Perfection. There were no wolves on this runway but the crackling of neon lights was a reminder of Alexander's asylum show. The inspiration of an Ice Queen had a vibe of vintage Alexander. The McQueen girl lives in her own world and all the shredded organza and laced up S&M boots was evidence of that. The frayed organza that lined hems, cuffs and shoulder pads looked like fur and was used throughout the collection on a drop waist halter neck dress and on blazer's cut out shoulders. The stand out piece was a gown with a body collaged from broken china, and then exploded into a sea of organza. It was a collection that screamed Alexander and reassured burton's skeptics that she isn't just channeling McQueen but that she is the McQueen brand.
Marc Jacobs' collection for Louis Vuitton was inspired by fetish, latex was in full effect in the corsets and miniature masks that decorated the model's officer hats. it wasn't enough that the models exited three elevators on a square runway, but they did it in shape defying silhouettes.The sculpted jackets, the blouses buttoned up in the back. The skirts stopped right below the knee and were cinched with belts in cordovan and the few pants in the collection were cut for riding in the jodhpur shape. The french maid inspired looks were edged out with plastic lace or decorated with appliques of platform pumps,masks, and handcuffs. The retro men's cut briefs paired with thigh highs and accessorized with a appliqued jacket. The bags were handcuffed to the models with diamond handcuffs. There were the show stopping attendance of so many girls from the late 90's and early millennium in attendance, from Naomi, Stella, Carolyn,Amber, Michelle and Kate Moss closing the show by stumbling down the runway smoking a cigarette looking absolutely divine in the signature Dom boots of the season.
Gareth Pugh showed an exceptional collection of the perfectly cut clothes in three perfect colours, blue,black and gold. There were intersecting zippers on the first dress, then came the jackets with sculpted sharp shoulders paired with chiffon trousers that when the models walked created volume. The portion of the show done in that beautiful blue had dresses with capes and hoods all done in a great silk chiffon. Every piece moved with a grace. The gold story was exceptional, the leggings and cuts of the dresses with the armored gear was still very wearable and street ready. A collection fit for the fashion goths.
CHristopher Lemaire's first collection for Hermes might have proved his skeptics wrong (after the announcement as him replacing Gaultier, seeing as he's also coming from Lacoste), it involved floor sweeping caftans and kimonos in brown,red, orange and jade green. They were detailed with tassels, obi belts and quilting accessorized with lacquered bracelets and large pendant neck pieces. The clothes had a eloquent polish of sophistication. The menswear inspired pieces came in oversized jackets with leather lapels with a leather mini and leather tights and in red leather the trousers came wide leg. It was an effortless collection of great layered pieces.
Mugler was the most anticipated show of Paris fashion week. It was Nicola Formichetti's first womenswear collection and also his pal Lady Gaga was set to walk the show. But beyond the hype of the superstar and CFDA fashion icon of the year award nominee's attendance was the clothes. The first look was a definite homage to Thierry Mugler, a black pantsuit with exaggerated peaked shoulders that the design genius made famous in the 80's with a pair of ridiculously high platforms with curved heels. The models crawled and vamped their way down the the dark church columned runway singing along to Gaga's latest singles from her unreleased album. There were other pantsuits in patent leather and sheer. About 11 looks in Gaga revealed herself from behind the photographer's pit in a sculpted black bra, sheer body suit, and a long black skirt. She wore blonde waist length pigtails under a triangle hat smoking a cigarette and managed her platforms a lot better than the professional models in their own height defying stilettos. After the initial shock from Gaga's presence you then notice the latex pants and cheater print sheer body suits, furs with Mugler shoulders and body hugging dresses with sheer exposed torsos. It was a fun show, more than just fashion, it was entertainment and Gaga has already bought the entire collection in every colour. Thats how you support a friend's talent.-your Dealer.
