Fashion: Paris Haute Couture S/S 2011
No Limitations for Couture
Looks for Christian Dior, by John Galliano.
“We speak the same
language,” said Christian Dior to
René Gruau, who was given complete artistic freedom at illustrating and
inventing a new advertising style for the Mr. Dior’s fragrances, and
subsequently created the house’s most iconic imagery in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Gruau had been a source of
inspiration for Mr. Galliano in the past, for an illustrator and artist-themed
collection. For this season’s haute couture he chose to do a reprise of the
‘50s in which Dior’s New Look was an obvious source point for dresses and
flared skirts contributing to particularly delicate, and above all interesting,
silhouettes. Gruau’s imagery manifested
itself on cloth and in embroidery as graphite smears, pencil strokes and
scribbles, and dégradé colours that ranged from watery patels to intense deeply
seducing reds by layering tulle and ostrich feathers to imitate painterly
gestures. Looks from Armani Prive collection Giorgio Armani used an interesting mix of nylon, metal and
silk-spun fabrics to present a futuristic vision – one that was once shared by Pierre Cardin and Thierry
Mugler, each in another decade.The show shimmered and not just because of the
beautiful reflective organza. It had a quality that felt like it would push
fashion – even if by a tiny bit or more – forward. At Givenchy, Ricardo
Tisci, cast only Asian-oriental
models to present his Japanese dancer Kazuo Ohno and robot toy-inspired
collection. The designer showed silk and feathery creations, in white, pale
lime-yellow and pink with incredibly crafty 3-D applications – papery organza,
chiffon covered beads or ostrich feathers – on very tricky-to-work-with
transparent fabrics. Givenchy chose for an
intimate presentation geared toward the clients instead of a regular fashion
show. When in Paris I shared a car with two Beijing natives that came
especially for the haute couture presentations and they expressed their
excitement for Givenchy, craving the creativity and craftsmanship that
apparently only Ricardo Tisci provided for them. Another interesting casting
was male model Andrej Pejic starring as Jean Paul Gaultier’s bride, a gender statement at the end of a long
line, wll of which have been made before by Mr. Gaultier. Male Model Andrej Pejic as Jean Paul Gaultier's bride At Elie Saab there were delicate evening looks that could and
would most probably seduce Oscar nominees Michelle Williams, Amy Adams or
Hailee Steinfeld. The palette grazed, like most of the couture season, pastel
and powdery shades and signaled lightness in mood – tea-rose pink, mauve and
raspberry. It was the demure second
look of the collection, presented on Sigrid Agren and embroidered with beads
and rosettes of mousseline, belted at the waist, that seemed particularly right
for a starlet who wishes to come close to the soft allure that Audrey Hepburn
had when winning her Oscar. There was an overall
creative energy that went about the couture shows that is increasingly more
difficult to find amoungst prêt-a-porter designers. Couture does not have the restrictions placed upon it like
the availability of fabrics; competition from fast fashion chains and pricing
issues and allows designers to come up with relevant fashion. If one bears in mind that
there is an increase in demand for Couture, it is safe to say that Couture is
not so dead after all, and that it once again functions as a necessary motor
for (the ideas expressed in) fashion.
A detail shot from Elie Saab's spring couture collection.
Edited by Gossipboy - 27 Jan 2011 at 5:21pm
post a commentFashion: Paris Haute Couture S/S 2011
Nouveau Couture for the Now
Looks from Chanel Haute Couture by Karl Lagerfeld / From left / Mono-pattern crystal and pearl embroidered (slightly A-line) T-shirt paired with jeans / Semi-translucent embroidered top with a silk satin skirt / Transparent all-over embroidered black crystal trousers with A-line embroidered tunic dress.
There was a whiff of delicacy that ran through Chanel’s Haute Couture presentation on Tuesday with a clear message about future of couture: lightness and youthfulness.
Is it a coincidence that Mr. Lagerfeld had chosen Blake Lively, ‘Gossip Girl subject and starlet,’ as the official face of the “MADEMOISELLE” handbag line? She is spontaneous and fresh and her fictive television character always seems to be mixing the right amount of edge with heritage luxury brands such as Chanel.
In a day when people do not want to be told what is, and is not chic Mr. Lagerfeld chose to present a romantic – and above all – easy to wear (you could call the fit even roomy) collection, pairing translucent embroidered, slightly a-line, tunics with jeans and flats.
“She (Coco Chanel) didn’t like jeans — but you have to work for the future,” said Mr. Lagerfeld, referring to the founder’s dismissal of denim at the end of her career in the ‘60s when it was the fashion of the moment.
The clothing not only seemed light because of its use of dew-like pastel colours with shimmering beads hand sewn onto them, but also in maintaining a weightlessness and transparency of the fabrics despite the all-over ornamentation.
A glimpse of the atmosphere at Chanel, captured by Glass.
“I’m very spontaneous in choosing what I wear,” said Daphne Guinness after the show and when sharing a taxi with two very stylish Chinese haute couture clients, it became clear that they yearned for something modern and easy – as well as something obvious that showcase quality and real craftsmanship. “It’s for young ladies. The next generation of haute couture customers,” said Baptiste Giabiconi when greeted at the entrance.
And is that not true luxury or exclusivity? Being able to go to the grocery store in a Chanel crystal encrusted, semi translucent t-shirt and some blue jeans?
Karl Lagerfeld with his models and Kristen Mcmenamy as the bride. The set reflected Coco Chanel's signature coromandel screens, while the models were grouped on a reproduction of the mirrored staircase where Coco famously watched her collections.
Edited by Gossipboy - 26 Jan 2011 at 9:50am
Fashion: Designer Update
PRADA Remounts the Spring Runway in Beijing
The Museum rooms had been revisited for the occasion by the New York multidisciplinary design studio 2x4, whereas the setting for the fashion show had been designed by OMA's research unit AMO.
Amoung the revelers of this mega event, in which the Prada glamour came in banana earings and striped fox fur stoles, were chinese actresses Gong Li, Maggie Cheung, Cecilia Cheung, Qing Xu, Korean actress Ha Ji Won as well as Chinese actors Geng Le e Liu Ye - all wearing Prada. The event was also graced by movie director Lu Chuan, Oscar winning art director Tim Yip, Chris Dercon and Jay Jopling.
Photo: Courtesy of PRADA
Gong Li at the PRADA event held at the Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum in Beijing.
Edited by Gossipboy - 26 Jan 2011 at 9:48am
Paris Fashion Week / Menswear
Rise of The Craftsman, Paris Men March On
From left / Lanvin pin-stripe puffer worn over an overcoat and slim ankle-length trousers, creating a long & short all-in-one silhouette / Raf Simons rounded shoulder duffel and latex blazer and trouser / Hermes shearling leather jump suit.
Besides the prevalent Amish hats that turned out to be the motif of the menswear season – and possibly Phoebe Philo’s functional and austere influence, while at Celine, there were two stars that presented soulful presentations, whose goal is to move fashion forward. Dries Van Noten was one and the other, Raf Simons.
Vivid colours and interesting materials were mixed into the collection, titled ‘Rise of the Craftsman, Fall of The Prince – Dead Prince College,’ which signaled Mr. Simons’ return to his early schoolboy roots by mixing and reworking duffle coats, anoraks and school boy sweaters with high collared latex vests and wide-cut trousers. There was definitely an appeal to the combination of fabrics – Mr. Simons not only showed creativity with this, but managed to make the silhouettes look wearable and not far-fetched.
Raf Simons
It is a shame that Mr. Simons has severed his ties with his manufacturing partner, leaving the fate of this collection’s sales to buyers uncertain. What is also uncertain is if the ‘urban collegiate’ is ready for (couture inspired) pod-like coats that close like hospital gowns in the back. The things that shone were the well cut, young mans suits, with rounded shoulders, and wide-shaped and patch pocket jackets.
Mixing
technological and the sartorial seemed to be another big trend this season,
adopted not only by Dries Van Noten, Kris Van Assche and Louis Vuitton, but
also Lanvin. As
the designer Lucas Ossendrijver, along with Alber Elbaz explained, their
intentions were to meld the two together. There was even a tension in the
soundtrack that even mirrored the clothing, Dionne Warwick’s Walk on by was mixed and cut off by a rhythmic
tension building sound.
Lanvin
The Lanvin man always seems fancy without the old school, reserved connotations. What I particularly liked was a hooded puffer jacket, worn over a tailored wool overcoat and slim (and very urban) ankle length trousers that showed just a hint of a colourful sock. The atmosphere in the room, the music and the clothes, signaled an ode to the young and the restless – at times playboy – type of guy.
Hermes signature chain link knitted into two vibrantly coloured sweaters.
Veronique Nichanian gave Hermès more edge than one usually sees, with leather running throughout the whole collection – a few leather trousers here and there, two shearling one-piece suits and a shearling collared mid-thigh trench coat. Ms. Nichanian re-tweaked some suits to result in nice variations (in slate wool and a muddy Prince of Wales cotton) and had Hermès’ signature chain link knitted into a sweater, one in turquoise and the other in mustard yellow.
Edited by Gossipboy - 25 Jan 2011 at 8:37am
Book Reviews
Fashion Icons, Then, Now, and Online.
Books by Simone Werle / Fashionisto: A Century of Style Icons / Style Diaries: World Fashion from Berlin to Tokyo.
What makes a style icon? A well cut suit? Designer handbags? Or is it just personality? Simone Werle explores style icons from two perspectives in her recently published books.
Fashionisto: A Century of Style Icons documents past and present male trendsetters, from Johnny Cash, known for wearing black shirts, to John F. Kenney’s two-button jackets, that weren’t exactly in vogue at the time. Ms Werle provides short anecdotes with historical insight in double page spreads with glossy full colour pictures, and tries to get to the essence of her subjects’ stylistic signature that was ultimately an effect of a very strong personality.
Fasionisto explores the concept that an individual can have considerable fashion influence in more ways than just having great personal style. Ms Werle focuses on the influences that designers Hedi Slimane or the elusive Martin Margiela have had with their work, on fashion or the way in which Run-D.M.C. had a considerable influence on youth culture that wanted to adopt their style.
As one book documents the already famous and notable, time transcending figures, Style Diaries: World Fashion from Berlin to Tokyo addresses a more modern phenomenon. The book features the individuals that have been shaking up the past decade in style and which will continue to shape the next: fashion bloggers. This book documents the NOW. It is less an iconic reference book than Fashionisto, and more a collection of biographies and visions of the (not so) famous individuals that are finding followers online, through posting their no rules to style approach.
Fifty of today’s most compelling fashion bloggers share their view on (personal) style by answering questions such as ‘What is something that you would never wear?’ ‘What is the best purchase you ever made?’. They, however, will still have to endure the test of the vast changing times surrounding fashion, social networking and documenting style.
Both books focus on individuals and what is apparent is that these characters, famous or not-yet, have stayed true to themselves and have their own voice. Whether it’s Marlon Brando’s jeans and t-shirt look with a hint of swagger to fashion blogger Adrián Cano’s smart look with a vintage touch, both books provide good examples of styles one can adopt and hopefully transform into one’s own signature.
Simone Werle is a freelance fashion journalist, whose articles have appeared in publications such as Elle, InStyle and Max.
Fashionisto:
A Century of Style Icons
By Simone Werle
Hardcover: 175 pages
ISBN-13: 978-3-7913-4476-8
Product Dimensions: 19.5 x 24 cm
Price: £19.99
Style Diaries:
World Fashion from Berlin to Tokyo
By Simone Werle
Paperback: 384 pages
ISBN-13: 978-3-7913-4474-4
Price: £16.99
Publisher: Prestel
Flowers for Spring? (Groundbreaking)
Posted on 24/01/2011 at 15:31:02 and reworked at 19:13:05
Liberty Woven Dress / The front of a flower-printed silk crepe dress is slowly transforming into a degrade weave from various Liberty prints to plain red. / Dress: 48 hours /
Paisley-printed scarves jacket / Multicoloured paisley-printed scarves are cut into strips and shaped into flower buds. They are then sewn on a taffeta jacket.
Left / Dress embroidered with plastic sequins / Right / Leather flowers silhouette
Liberty flower-shirt / A sky blue cotton poplin shirt is cut in a way to form flowers in volume. Other flowers from several Liberty fabrics are added to become a degrade from a plain colour to an all-over motive.
Paisley-printed scarves cable sweater / Wadded tubes are braided on a mannequin. Over dyed paisley-printed scarves are then applied to look like a cable sweater.
Flower fur collar / Blossom flower garlands are dismantled. Once re-assembled in a degrade, they are applied on an oversize collar.
Ribbon-petal cat-suit / A cat-suit is entirely embroidered with ribbons in volume. In the shape of petals, these ribbons form a degrade from nude tones to red and neon orange.
Iridescent paper-draped dress / Foils of iridescent paper are draped on a mannequin and stapled to become asymmetrical dresses / All images by Donovan Tjon
Edited by Gossipboy - 24 Jan 2011 at 6:13pm
Paris Fashion Week / Menswear
The Resurgence of Sobriety
A silhouette from Dior Homme and Kris Van Assche.
Stripping
away ornamentation? That seemed like the prevalent theme in Dior Homme’s a/w
presentation. Set against a grand chandelier-lit room, which seemed like the
interior of an empty luxury apartment Dior Homme presented the most straightforward
– Amish inspired, collection of the season. Chocolate,
asphalt tones, black and full-fledged outfits in fire engine red were done in
light (felt) wools and cashmeres in combination with rough straw-coloured linen
details. Fabrics were either cut and left raw-edged -- finished with a bias, or
doubled. Classic details were often hidden in the cut of the clothing and there
was a strong theme to turn the inside out and vice versa. Instead of using
jacket lining, outerwear wools were used on the inside and breast and
passe-poile pocket details went along with it. Pad stitching details on vest, the only sort of ornamentation in the collection. Pad stiches,
that are used to attach canvas and horse hair for suit reinforcement, appeared as the only “decoration” throughout the whole collection. Kris Van
Assche introduced long, sinuous coats and robes, using layered effects and
often placing square cut pieces to drape over a suit jacket or coat, resulting
in fluid capes.
Details from the Dior Homme showroom / Slim lapels stitched into the jacket with canvas linen detailing / right / Canvas linen used as lining on the right interior panel and which is detached on the left interior panel as a vest.
What the collection lacked was crispness – the trousers were full pleated and the top volumes were anything but figure hugging. There was little to contrast all the fluidity and above all, the real beauty of the collection was in all the detail, which was not immediately apparent at the presentation successfully melded together austerity and luxury.
Silhouettes from Kris Van Ascche.
At his own
label Kris Van Assche chose to continue focusing on the casual with wools that were again
left unlined and raw edged with bias ‘finishings’ on the inside. There were a
lot of over-sized, rib-knit sweaters and suit jackets with metallic zipper
closings. The designer used a palette of charcoals, black and navy blues and,
here again, pushed the cape idea, this time done in camel.
Edited by Gossipboy - 24 Jan 2011 at 3:30pm
Berlin Fashion Week
A.Friend Visits Berlin
Antwerp based duo A.F. Vandevorst opens Berlin Fashion week with their A.Friend diffusion line autumn/ winter 2011-2012 presentation.
A thin red line went through An Vandevorst and Fillip Arickx’s recently shown collection, and not just literally speaking. A.Friend, which is the duos’ new and more affordable diffusion line, kicked off Berlin fashion week on 19 January, and presented their a/w 2011-2012 collection. The A.F. Vandevorst brand is planning on permanently showing its complimentary line in Berlin and this may be because of positive feedback from its traveling pop-up store.
'A.Friend' focuses on signatures from its bigger-sister line. Knitwear and compositions of jerseys such as silk and cotton were draped in combination with soft leathers and styled with the brands hosiery and accessories. The two latter either donned a red stripe or cross – even the model's spine was accentuated with a thin red line – a clear message that the label is thinking about branding.
There was an elongated silhouette on display with some great daywear dresses that were easy to wear. The palette ranged from asphalt tones, heather grey as the duo called it, to copper tones and dirty reds. Staying true to the influence of artist Joseph Beuys and his chalkboards, the Antwerp based duo used a combination of dyeing techniques on knits that resulted in over-dye prints that showed lighter patches or the effect of “hints of chalk” – as they called it.
Two hairy young women, 1995. By Irving Penn for Vogue.
Source / Extreme Beauty in Vogue
Could the styling of the hair be inspired by Irving Penn’s 1995 photograph of two hairy young women? Coincidence or not the overall effect was a little daunting but contributed to possibly one of the strongest shows of the Berlin season.
Edited by Gossipboy - 23 Jan 2011 at 8:37pm
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