From Paris
Fashion is not all smoke and mirrors. This past weekend in Paris brought a bevy of sure-to-be copied looks and focused on the conceptual avant-garde — the stranger and wilder the looks, the better. Only a few designers could take the fashion industry’s breath away by the way they place a flower on a lapel, draping on a sleeve, the fringe on a coat. These heavy hitters including Céline, Chloé, Givenchy, and Kenzo presented collections that are surely going to inspire a craze or two next fall.
Here are my top looks, so far, from the city of light.
1. Céline
The looks on Céline‘s catwalk featured sleek, thirties-styled tailoring, and double-breasted closings gone wild. The thirties were on Philo’s mind when she was first thinking about the collection, especially women like Hannah Höch and Lee Miller, who were pivotal figures in the Dada and surrealist art worlds. The new, sinewy silhouette was complemented by soon-to-be-coveted knockout accessories: a single statement earring, a bold colorful cuff, and an oversize tangerine fur muff.
2. Chloe
Fall excursions for Clare Waight Keller’s Chloé are often a swing between soft and hard, the girlish and the boyish. But this Fall there was perhaps an injection of a new element: something wild. The coherence and boyish discipline, together with the pretty-prettiness of Chloé, was given an additional jolt with the wild and woolly today. See this leopard fur coat with strips of marigold and ruby fur worn over an ivory fringed dress. The bag tucked underneath the arm exudes just enough nonchalance. Love the great new bags and enticing outerwear.
3. Acne
One of the reasons I love what Acne does, is mastering the perfect sweater and that they did. Sweater dressing is the season’s hot topic, and Acne had ideas to contribute, including ribbed knits that draped the body like beach towels. Take note of the large pom-pom hat you will find on heads everywhere next season.
4. Stella McCartney
It’s official: Chunky knit pajama-style pants are one of fall’s key trends and Stella is giving her customer what she knows and loves. Borrowed from the worlds of sport and loungewear, I love the zipper detailing and embroidery on her oh-so-sexy clothes, stirrup pants, and those flatforms are back with a vengeance. I can’t think of a better way to start your day– put on your fringe and dance!
