REFINED RESTRAINT
Paris: Phoebe Philo's yet-again brilliant collection for Céline was defined by restraint, in a variety of respects. Her minimalist aesthetic, with its emphasis on refusing the unnecessary, was the most obvious manifestation of the concept. Clean, A-line skirts and dresses, boxy tops, and simple duster and pea coats were the building blocks of the offering. Embellishments and details were
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EFFORTLESS SLEEK
Paris: While supple second skins have been the fabric of choice this season, leather is in Loewe's DNA and designer Stuart Vevers has a flawlessly modern approach to working with it. Moulded cocoon coats with sleek edges and exposed seams, aviator jackets, and structured sweaters with leather fronts were all highly covetable winter warmers. Contrasted with slinky foulard print
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LEADING LADY
Paris: It was a case of biker-meets-ballet or maybe leather daddy-meets-diva at Jean Paul Gaultier, where the designer embraced his love of fetish-wear, fur and graceful gowns. On top were biker jackets and moulded, high-neck bustier tops, complete with ribbing, press-stud fastenings (often unfastened at one shoulder), and zippers, while legs were veiled in billowing lengths of sheer chiffon.
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Dimensional roses appeared to be blossoming from Savile Row-type suitings at Comme des Garcons' Fall 2013 collection shown today in Paris. Self fabric was twisted and manipulated in order to produce a lush array of romantic sculpted flowers, feminizing these menswear silhouettes. –Deirdre Pérez
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MEDIEVAL MELANGE
Vivienne Westwood always manages to combine ethnic and historical references and make them into something fashionable. For F/W13 the show notes stated: “Influences come from the 4 corners, historical, ethnic, structure and ‘flou’.” The collection was a mélange of sparkling jacquards, tribal prints, folkloric embroidery, intarsia knits and crochets. The Medieval influence was evident with large wool blanket coats,
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DECONTEXTUALIZED FASHION
Swedish brand Acne premiered in Paris at the Grand Palais. For this collection Acne sought to make the invisible visible and the unwearable wearable, with a collaboration between artist Katerina Jebb and the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. Jonny Johansson, founder and head of design, said, “Art is something I enjoy in my work as well
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WELL SUITED
Paris: It would be an insult to Rei Kawakubo's genius to describe her brilliant collection as a borrowed-from-the-boys affair. It was much more cerebral than that. Yes, the designer used Savile Row suitings, twisting them into fabric flowers and bows, but the over-the-top proportions made both the embellishments and the garments themselves into a study of silhouette and of
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PLAYFULLY MENDED
Paris: Junya Watanabe’s biker jackets are a conceptual staple, a component of his collection that inspires a specific anticipation each season. For F/W 13 his interpretation was youthful with a touch of rockabilly flair, centered on a patchworking technique that saw hourglass leather jackets merge with tartan panels to become dresses worn over cropped leggings and platform pumps. Denim
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POWER PLAY
Paris: For fall, Véronique Leroy offered a softer take on power dressing. Echoing the looks in her spring collection, most shoulders were strong and extended, though some took on a more rounded shape. The foundations of the offering were wear-to-work basics, such as skirt suits, sheaths, boxy jackets, and slim-fitting coats, but innovative materials kept them looking fresh. Mesh,
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A VULNERABLE UTILITY
Paris: Haider Ackermann’s spectacular Spring show was full of drama and a newly delicate nature, something not usually on display for the confident and innovative designer. For F/W 13 he expanded upon this theme of fragility, inspired by the inner vulnerability of his self-assured muses. The results were a gorgeous mix of the military, the masculine and the
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ROMANCE + DECAY
Paris: Set against a somberly beautiful backdrop of wilting flowers in grey scale, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren's latest collection seemed to explore the opposing forces of romance and decay. The first half of the show featured feminine details and a youthful attitude, while distressed effects characterized the second section. The designers set aside their typical tongue-in-cheek antics
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BELLE DU JOUR
Vanessa Bruno, like many designers this season, played with genders, nonchalantly layering menswear suit jackets over feminine minis. The show notes suggested a Parisian girl walking on a sunny winter day in the Luxembourg Gardens. “It’s about the French Parisian girl. I was inspired by the film, Belle du Jour with Catherine Deneuve, set in the late sixties,"
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KISS ME DEADLY
Paris: With vintage hats, mysterious glasses, and an opening passage of black-and-white looks, Tsumori Chisato embraced this season's pervasive film noir theme. Exaggerated proportions and playful prints set her interpretation apart from the others. Among the distinctive silhouettes on display were trumpet shapes and dramatically curved sleeves, and motifs included her signature dots, childlike florals, and wide stripes,
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YOHJI FOR ALL
Paris: The influence of Yohji Yamamoto and his Japanese fashion compatriots has been rife on the F/W 13 runways, so it's particularly interesting to see what the master himself has to show this season. This was Yohji for all occasions, from the youthful, opening T-shirt ensembles and the hint of gothic lolita in the cute little textured origami
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COOL COQUETTE
Paris: Today was a momentous occasion for Sonia Rykiel, with the debut collection from new creative director Geraldo da Conceicao, who has worked at Miu Miu, Yves Saint Laurent and, most recently, Louis Vuitton. Rykiel tasked da Conceicao with the "creative relaunch of the women's ready-to-wear and accessories collections," in a bid to strengthen the brand's expansion into Asia (last year
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