Au Revoir Paris. Another whirlwind fashion week is done as a full hush falls over the City of Lights. We will see you again soon. As we’ve been on a four week, four-city marathon of flash and fantasy, we can’t help but feel melancholy. While we weren’t short on breathtaking hemlines and maddening wrapped leather, here are the shows that we felt stood out the most at Paris Fashion Week.
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- BALMAIN: Both decorative and decadent, Olivier Rousteing developed a collection that had hints of Fabrege with it’s delicate detailing of pearl and crystal embroidery.
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- HAIDER ACKERMANN: Waists were cinched via a wrap method per Ackermann giving a modern flare to dandyism. Peplum jackets in autumn orange and high waist pants are certain to be a big hit come the cooler months.
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- CELINE: Phoebe Philo created an intimate setting for her collection of minimalist sporty looks. Color blocked furs and streamlined cropped pants left everyone wanting more.
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- STELLA MCCARTNEY: Resounding that the Stella woman is about balance, larger proportioned side-zip coats in cobalt blues and tailored minifrocks with floral embroidery made you stop and stare. With the 2012 olympics coming up, whom Stella is designing the British teams uniforms for, it is certainly Stella’s year.
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- LOUIS VUITTON: All aboard a royal blue steam engine to the Orient. Marc Jacobs’ cemented his 15 year tenure at the legendary house with a collection that merged his vision with the storied history of luxury travel accessories that Louis Vuitton created, complete with porter detailing.
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- LANVIN: A carnival of color celebrated Alber Elbaz 10 years at Lanvin. Gilded brocade, appliqué and plenty of sparkle. The collection centered around ladylike silhouettes and peplums.
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- KENZO: The quintessential cool kid in high energy colored tweeds, blouson jackets and skirtsuits have us excited for fall.
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- BALENCIAGA: Sci-Fi workplaces get ready. Twenty-seven floors up a skyscraper in Paris, Nicolas Ghesquière’s corporate spies, secretaries and chair(wo)men sported killer attire with exaggerated leather shoulders, sculpted sweatshirts over a-line skirts and satin sweatshirts with lamé animal print and spacey slogans.
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- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN: Sarah Burton pushed a new dawn with a collection that started off with white short skirts meant to evoke the idea of a pod and exploding into vivid bright colors of red and magenta silk organza. New life indeed.
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- GIVENCHY: Tisci opened an equestrian world of pomp and circumstance with frontward boyish coats that served a duplicty with feminine peplums and tassels in the back. The show crescendoed with kimono styled leather with pops of chinese red.
