Yiorgos Eleftheriades

A prolonged, weirdly harmonised version of “I Feel Love” opened Yiorgos Eleftheriades’ AW10 catwalk show. This was perhaps down to a technical problem backstage, or a wayward model missing her cue, but whatever the reason, the Greek designer made it up to the waiting crowd.

Simplicity is underrated for some people, but Eleftheriades is clearly not amongst them. Contemporary elegance is his focus, which he pulled off here with ease. Colours were pared down – in a quietly confident palette of grey, black and mushroom, duck egg blue was as near to bold as this collection came – yet each look was consistently well executed. Body con was juxtaposed with billowing dresses; each differing silhouette was simple, but well defined and extremely flattering. Adding soft Mongolian fur trims, wraps and coats to several looks gave an edgy, urban twist to the collection.

Montse Liarte

As the models took their final lap, it was clear to see that Montse Liarte had executed an extremely wearable collection – perhaps too wearable. Although not an entirely bad thing, some of the pieces could be filed under ‘office wear’, as Liarte had played it safe. A whole lot of black in the form of trouser and skirt suits, shift dresses and bolero jackets came first, followed by pastel pink and black shirt dresses, and royal blue woollen trousers teamed with black mandarin-collared oversized shirts. Every piece was minimal, which could have segued into monotony. But the former Desigual designer quashed these thoughts with her superior tailoring throughout. The draping, folding and hang of the fine wool, silk and heavy cotton wove a sense of luxury into each piece.

Juan Antonio Ávalos

The male models at the Juan Antonio Ávalos show sauntered around the floor to “My Sharona” by The Knack. That is, if The Knack were speedballing at a field rave. This was the acid house version of the song, to complement the distinct off-the-wall 80s vibe of the collection. Matching quilted jackets and trousers, shiny tracksuits and retro high top sneakers continued the throwback celebration. Add puffa everything in primary colours, including earmuffs, some fetching neon eyeshadow and an anomalous Lego/railway/Transformer/wind turbine field installation in the centre of the room, and the result was, well, inexplicable. It was completely bizarre, but as everyone left with a smile on their face and their tongue planted firmly in their cheek, Ávalos must be doing something right.

All images courtesy of 080 Barcelona Fashion.

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Lanvin –

Protection was the inspiration at Lanvin, a primary theme week, as menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver delivered a storming collection on this last day for menswear in Paris.

Under the direction of the formidable Alber Elbaz, Ossendrijver has kept the brands perfected aesthetic, continuing to use beautiful fabrics such as soft cashmeres and modern cottons, produced in a luxurious yet demur pallet of blue, greys and brown.

Slim tailoring formed the basis for the collection, which under flowing, extra long coats accentuated the theme of protection. Military influenced the collection as sturdy rucksacks and utilitarian garments accessorised with laced forces boots and wide leather belts added weight to this recurring trend this season.

This powerfully French, luxurious offering played host to some sporty footwear that will no doubt be a hit later on this year. Ossendrijver – known for his love of luxury and sneakers – put a decidedly athletic twist on snake printed high tops, neon yellow trainer shoes and military boots.

As Paris plays host to the Haute Couture shows next week, it will be interesting to see how the trends for the coming season translate.

Sleek tailoring, military, leather, oversized coats, black, white, fur and exotic skins, have been a recurring trend at the majority of the shows. But lets see how Jean Paul Gaultier's boxing theme and Yves Saint Laurent's tailored jump suit catch on. Though one thing is for sure, we will all be wrapping up warm as layering is they key to your Autumn/Winter 2010 success.

All Words by Dan Hasby-Oliver

All Images from www.style.com

Ann Demeulemeester –

The latest collection from Ann Demeulemeester was music to everyone's ears as punk rock singer Patti Smith was the apparent inspiration for her latest offering.

A limited pallet of stark black, crisp white and soft camel was lifted by the glistening, hard silverware draped around the models waist. The former trend for chunky, abundant chains and charms hanging around the neck seems to have switched its function, from necklace to belt.

Relaxed suits, with slim legged trousers yet gathered high at the waist, formed the basis for twenty-nine moody, nouveaux punk looks. Paired with these ensembles were flowing, draped overcoats and Sherlock Holmes type capes which were almost lost behind hefty furs or abundant feather collars and boas.

Beautifully layered, this relaxed yet emotive collection also saw a smattering of PVC jackets and coats, leather gloves, and this seasons must have, the military boot.

Dior Homme –

If there was any doubt that bigger is better, Dior Homme has confirmed that the Decade of Skinny is well and truly over.

Kris Van Assche's latest outing as designer-in-chief has left guys the world over left without any choice but to eat some more. No longer is the cut of the cloth so close, as overcoats were of, almost, oversized proportions as they cascaded over the models slender frames.

Tailoring featured heavily, yet the street trend for 'cool' rolled up trousers has finally tricked-up to the catwalk as Van Assche cut the length significantly shorter.

A traditionally muted pallet for Dior Homme, of black, white and grey, was lifted by lighter shades of oatmeal and hearty aubergine. Accessories lacked presence unlike previous seasons, however the labels signature skinny tie made a notable appearance. Ignoring the military footwear theme, it seems Van Assche has instated the laced ankle boot his shoe of choice for this season. 

Dunhill –

An English Man in Paris was the ideology behind Dunhill's latest collection, with uber-trendy designer Kim Jones at the helm. Keen to explore the traditional foundations of Alfred Dunhill, Jones has kept the old school spirit alive with a very dapper aesthetic.

Slim waisted, wool jackets matched with sleek trousers, however tucked into thick wool socks, were paired with Liberty-style printed shirts with an Edwardian collar. Smart black tuxedos with crests, and silk bow ties, added some extra English glamour to this exceptionally traditional collection that was viewed through a modern lens.

Venturing into the realms of British exploration, yellow-laced mountain boots and brown military boots added to the sense of adventure, bomber-style jackets, padded and belted heavy wool coats formed the basis for outerwear.

Unlike previous seasons, luggage and accessories were scarce yet what was seen were oversized, square holdalls, a black crock backpack and some orange mountaineering equipment – including a most British of accessory; the hip-flask.

All Words by Dan Hasby-Oliver.

All Images from www.style.com

Dragonette, originally from Canada and now based in London, are singer-songwriter Martina Sobarra guitarist Chris Hugget and drummer Joel Stouffer, bassist and producer Dan Kurtz. This song was released last year but this killer remix by Michael Di Francesco, of Australian electropop band Van She, has been on repeat this week at the Glass office and has inevitably become our the song to kick off this weekend.Enjoy!

Givenchy –

Paris was today blessed with a Holy Order, of sorts, coming in the guise of Givenchy, as Riccardo Tisci seemed to be inspired by the monochrome uniforms of the Catholic church.

With a limited pallet of black and white, buttoned up cotton shirts, slim wool trousers and sharp tailoring formed the basis for the collection that is as simplistic as fashion can get.

This religious offering by Givenchy experimented with skirt-shorts teamed with spandex tights, as well as combining shaggy wool and leather to produce a jacket so individual that it will not be repeated elsewhere again this season. Pea jackets and long frock coats were the main focus for outerwear.

A small capsule collection of twenty-seven looks, Givenchy were limited with their accessories this season. Usually a design house reputed for their footwear, models donned patent-leather Jesus sandals, whilst some came complete with a gold Crown of Thorns.

Well, if the Pope can wear Prada, then I'm sure a little bit of Parisian chic wouldn't go a miss either.

Rick Owens –

High end gothic with a splash of futuristic chic, Rick Owens seemed to nod to the athletic yet kept his latest offerings typically dark.

The asymmetrical cut of the garments was elongated to create a more refined aesthetic, however the muted pallet of white, black, metallics and soft mocha kept this collection modern, despite many Ziggy Stardust influences. A heavy use of suede, fur and leather for coats and jackets made his outerwear some of the most creative seen this season.

Waisted trench coats, drop crotch harem pants and soft flowing knits were finished off with fingerless, fur-lined Lorax gloves. All that was missing was the flowing striped scarves synonymous with Doctor Who. A great use of textures, including fox fur, crocodile and snakeskin, to stimulate the senses, has made this collection some what of an homage to geek chic. 

Yves Saint Laurent –

Slim, slimmer and skinny was the ideology behind Stefano Pilati's latest collection for Yves Saint Laurent as he shrank down the garments to, what seemed like, miniscule sizes.

Louis Vuitton –

'Bleisure' – a fusion of business and leisure – was the inspiration for Paul Helbers, studio director for Louis Vuitton, and Marc Jacobs who presented a mix of casual and formal clothing that referenced Vienna's early 20^th century community of artists.

With luxurious leather coats, winter wools and plush tweeds, the collection was constructed around layered tailoring, in graphite, espresso, black and the odd splash of neon yellow.

Slim waisted, crisp white shirts formed the basis for an understated yet masculine aesthetic that accentuated the sleek tweed jackets and slim wool trousers tucked into thick wool socks. Who ever said the skinny leg was dead on men did not foresee this refined bohemian aesthetic.

Bespectacled models paraded the catwalk, displaying military inspired luggage with a dream-like decoration of landscapes, clouds and rustic country scenes, hand painted by German watercolour artist Christian Schoeler. With the traditional monogram taking a back seat this season, other accessories included spacious satchels and holdalls, high military boots and patent leather shoes with metallic soles.

Jean Paul Gaultier –

Bruised and bashed was the mantra for Jean Paul Gaultier as he presented a boxing inspired collection that promised to be, 'The greatest bout of all time'.

With skin-tight jersey sweat pants, satin shorts, thick woollen knits and leather jackets, the collection also showed off Gaultier's technical abilities with sharp tailored suits and slim pinstripe trousers. Yet it was the grey marl double-breasted suit with sequinned hood that was the heavy-weight champion of this theatrical show.

Red, black and white boxing boots and patent leather shoes took centre ring for accessories that were perfectly understated to accentuate the satin piped detail on military-inspired short jackets and leather-panel detailed wool coats.

A mixed pallet of black, white, army green and soft caramels worked perfectly to present this collection in a more wearable light. Patterned t-shirts, depicting bare muscles, lifted the mood in what appears to be a serious season, yet the real test of the industries humour will be to see how this trend translates to the high street.  

Dries Van Noten –

Continental country gentleman seemed to be the suave inspiration for Dries Van Noten as a typically Anglo look influenced his latest offering.

Sharp tailoring, relaxed boating jackets and belted trench coats dominated the collection that would not go amiss at this summers Henley Regatta. A predominately light navy, camel and soft grey pallet was muted by the loud multicolour stripes emblazoned on tailored shirts, slim trousers and accessories.

Simple black and light brown brogues worked well, particularly with the drop-crotch long johns that provided a sporty aesthetic to what could have been a stuffy, old school collection.

Puffa waistcoats, shooting jackets and padded body warmers all had their own little twist that brought them up-to-date, and may outshine the Barbour this autumn.

Shying away from the military trend that was apparent today, Dries Van Noten has produced a strong collection that is fun and relaxed which gives fresh hopes to us all for the year ahead.  

All Words by Dan Hasby-Oliver

All Images from www.style.com