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Chanel
Over the past few seasons there have been icy glaciers and ornamental gardens complete with gushing fountains, as Karl Lagerfeld strives to put on ever more theatrical shows at Chanel. This time round it was a charred and smouldering forest, the models picking their way across it dressed in signature tweed layers, their wide-legged pants rolled up to avoid disturbing the swirling fog.
The look: Protective winter dressing
Silhouette: Sturdy and masculine
Key items: Lagerfeld’s leitmotif was for jackets faux-layered over other jackets – short, boxy Chanel styles over tailored blazers or a four-pocket wool bush jacket, a tweed bolero over a slim-fit crombie, or a short sequinned jacket over a tux. These were paired with either triple pleat-front wide-legged pants with ankle-swinging turn-ups, or super-skinny black jeans. Skirt suits comprised collarless jackets with dropped sleeveheads and asymmetrical closures, and short A-line skirts, while cocktail dress were short and fluted with puff sleeves. There were tweed capes including a couple of floor-sweeping maxi options, and shirts with high pie-crust frilled collars that tapped into the season’s Victoriana looks, while evening gowns and dresses were replaced with no fewer than 15 jumpsuits - in lace, quilted leather, bulky tweed or Chantilly lace over satin, many with oversized cloverleaf lapels, large patch pockets and asymmetrical biker-style zips
Colour: Charred black and a host of smoky greys, with hits of red and teal
Fabric & knit: Slubby tweeds, bouclé, dense wools, basket weaves, houndstooth, glitter knits and Lurex-shot tweeds, tinselly fil coupé, looped wools, shearling, shredded chiffon, black organza, Chantilly lace, crinkled and scratched black denim
Print & pattern: Heraldic flowers and shadowy leaf patterns
Details & trims: Looped wool, tufted and shredded tweed, diamond quilting, chiffon appliqués, laser-cut fabric leaves sprouting from necklines, high pie-crust frilled shirt collars, dropped sleeveheads, jewelled buttons, patch pockets with fold-down corners
Footwear: Lace-up bovver boots with chelsea gusset and slouchy contrast material cuffs, short biker boots, low-heeled satin courts (US: pumps), metallic shoes and boots with popper studs and spectator toes
Accessories: Multi-strand chain chokers in blackened silver metals, gold cuffs; fingerless gloves in either thick ribbed knits or fine lace, tweed corsages, quilted leather waspie belts; chain-handled bags
Alexander McQueen
After rumours emerged Kate Middleton may wear a McQueen wedding dress for her forthcoming nuptials, all eyes were on Sarah Burton’s latest collection, picking it over for clues as to what the royal wedding ensemble will hold. And she didn’t disappoint, basing her couture-like collection on “an ice queen and her court”, including several white gowns sure to get the royal seal of approval from any fashion-conscious princess.
The look: Royal couture
Silhouette: Hourglass-shaped bodies and fit-and-flare skirts
Key items: This was about as far from a commercial collection as you could get. There were no retail-ready key items as such - each piece a made-to-order work of haute couture. There were nipped-waist coats with fur skirts, skirt suits with body-con jackets and skirts with zipped splits and godets, zip-through dresses with cutaway halternecks and leather harnesses, or others with chiffon bishop sleeves. There were body-con sheaths with corset-laced details binding skirt splits and plunging necklines, and a fit-and-flare coat with reinforced shoulder plates and a dropped-waist flare, that shape following through to a high-necked and corseted fit-and-flare drop-waist dress, with a tutu-like skirt made up of bands of millefeuille shredded chiffon and diamond lattice pleating. But what will get everyone talking were the white wedding-worthy gowns, the details of which will be picked over by anyone speculating on Kate Middleton’s rumoured McQueen wedding dress. There was one with a leather halterneck harness and fluted skirt with a frothy band of marabou feather, another with a high neck and split bishop sleeves, the columnar dress made of frayed-edge chiffon strips, and two halterneck options with frothy dropped-waist skirts - surely the frontrunners for royal favour
Colour: Black, white, lilac and pale grey
Fabric & knit: Tweed, knitted fur, feathered fox, silver fox, marabou, kidassia goat hair, chiffon, satin, leather, waffle-like embossed textures
Details & trims: Signature peaked shoulders, moulded waists/hips, high necklines and cuffed sleeves; zips as seams or godets, string corset-lacing, cutaway shoulders, bishop sleeves, funnel necks, leather harnesses, sheer inserts, ruff-like diamond lattice pleating, regimented stripes of crystal studs, millefeuille layers of frayed chiffon strips, shaved diamonds of fur, basket-woven leather, embroidered heraldic breastplate motif, jewelled studs
Footwear: Ghillie-laced boots in over-the-knee or calf lengths, exaggerated-platform peep toes or strappy sandals decorated with white beads or jewelled tufts of chiffon
Accessories: Waist-cinching belts and triple-buckle girdles, leather harnesses; chokers, either sheepskin-lined or studded leather; short fingerless gloves or over-the-elbow fetish leather gloves
Valentino
Possibly one of the finest collections presented in Paris this week, designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli injected the girlish sexiness they have perfected for after-six into elegant yet youthful daywear full of short lengths, pretty lace and unashamed feminine charm.
The look: Sweet femininity
Silhouette: Short daywear lengths, softly waisted fit-and-flare
Key items: There was a new concentration on daywear, which included above-the-knee dresses with wool skirts and ribbed knit tops, cardigan jackets with ribbed sleeves, sheer blouses or crewnecked sweaters paired with delicate pleated skirts and a couple of great shirtwaisters - one a particular highlight in cream laser-cut leather with sheer sleeves. There were perfectly tailored trousers, while a couple of neat longline DB jackets, a slicked leather trench, banded fox-fur coats and a wrap coat with wide portrait collar comprised the sensible outerwear offer. The demure/sexy interplay that Chiuri and Piccioli have made their own at the house arrived in the form of flirty cocktail dresses, including one with a fine Chantilly lace halterneck bodice and dropped-waist pleated leather skirt, a couple of fit-and-flare dresses with lingerie-inspired straps and bra cups, and a leather bandeau traced with a lace grid inlay. For evening, lengths hit the floor, with delicately wafting maxis in printed silk chiffon
Colour: A palette of cosmetique nudes and blush pinks dominated, tempered with black, inky navy and chocolate brown, and a single hit of mallard green. For evening there were highlights of turquoise and washed chartreuse
Fabric & knit: Ribbed knits, cashmere wools, chiffon, dotted point d’esprit, several types of fine lace, short tiered feathers, banded fox, glossy calfskin
Print & pattern: Printed tweedy trompe l’oeil plaid, trompe l’oeil all-over feather print, speckled and dotted patterns
Details & trims: Leather edge trims, pyramid studs, sequinned zigzags, lace inserts forming grid patterns, placement lace florals, pieced and patchworked lace, signature rosettes in quilled fabric or new in feathers, covered buttons, self belts
Footwear: Tall boots in plain leather, snakeskin or lace overlay, elegant thick-strapped Mary Janes
Accessories: Small leather bags with long shoulder straps, studded fold-over clutches, skinny snakeskin tubular belts with metal clasp, feathered chokers
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