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FeedParis Fashion Week round-up
Images from NYMag.com and Harpersbazaar.com
Yes, it’s the holiday season, and I have my own visions dancing in my head. Stella McCartney gave us flowing elegance (am I the only one thinking she makes the best mother of the bride choices ever?), while YSL figured out how to put hot black pizzazz under a crisp white uniform, for a joyful play on tradition. Speaking of tradition, Hermes serves up an entire runway of “J’adore tennis! Viva le tennis!” themes. Akris presented a softer trench wrap and a jacket that, once again, proves that covering up can be feminine and sexy. Supple material with a soft flow and a gentle color gathers attention like a whisper.
If you’re looking for something more theater under grace, Spanish design house Loewe presents a more mature Madonna and a twenty-first century conquistador. Dries Van Noten produced a runway of African prints blended with SoCal separates. Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga looked into the future and saw no-nonsense femininity and strength. Jean Paul Gaultier may have had a harder time focusing, missing the mark on his denim bustier overalls and Mad Max recreations, but he hit a solid with his summer splash, lighter-weight pieces of origami folds and harem-cum-40’s militaristic synthetic with cut-outs. I mean, well, why didn’t I think of that?
Valentino brings us back to lingerie and gossamer ruffles, while Chanel does what it does, which is to hypnotically empty the bank accounts belonging to every Gossip Girl subject and their Gossip Girl moms. I’m green with envy, not bitter, okay? And the breadth of the line, from fairy princess to vixen to deep woods vampire rocker to most powerful woman who lunches, I cannot even begin to show here.
But the real question of my day is why I put Mui Mui in the same category as Commes des Garcons? I appreciate the intellect, the novelty, the push of the envelope, and the women behind the labels, but I can’t imagine buying one, unless it were to frame for an art collection. I could buy an Alexander McQueen—even one from this season’s nature is scary theme—and wear it, because I’m not completely risk averse, but I’m left with the adjective of “interesting” for the other two. I hate that reality, but I cannot escape it. I have to get out more, I suppose.
