Live From... Paris Fashion Week, Day 1

Louis Vuitton

 
It was sophisticated sport-meets-safari for Kim Jones' debut at the helm of Louis Vuitton menswear, bringing the tailoring skills honed at Dunhill and his own sporty aesthetic to the luxury label. His childhood in Kenya also coloured the collection and led the designer to find further inspiration in photographer and diarist Peter Beard, whose work documents African wildlife.

“At its simplest level, it is about the idea of travel... after all, travel forms the foundation of the Vuitton brand.”  Said Kim Jones

The look: Sophisticated traveller

Silhouette: Sartorially tailored

Key items: Jones brings a casual touch to his tailored looks, with blazers and rolled pants or shorts, even lustrous silk wool evening SB suits are casually styled with collarless, open-necked shirts. There is heavy emphasis on outerwear – jackets in particular, with Harringtons and varsity blousons, quilted jackets, a four-pocket safari style and sporty hooded windcheaters as well as a classic trench coat and luxury parka in sand-coloured suede. With the African inspirations, summer heat is definitely in the air, giving rise to plenty of shorts as well as short-sleeved shirts and plain tees or sweatshirt-style tops

Colour: Classic navy and white, bright red with royal blue, sandy and sunbleached neutrals and a palette of soft earthen browns

Fabric & knit: Lightweight summer suiting, silk mohair, triple bonded silks, cashmere and vicuna wools, cotton and cotton canvas, sweatshirting, jersey, chequerboard knits in raffia, zigzag stitch knit, crocodile and alligator leathers, suede, brushed-backed chevron cashmere knits

Print & pattern: A rowing-inspired red and blue V-shaped logo, pyjama stripes, ink spots, house Damier checks reinterpreted in bright red and blue inspired by the colours of the Masai

Details & trims: Patterened quilting, notched lapels, safari pockets, drawstrings, VVN leather zip pulls, VVN leather harnessing

Footwear: Chestnut brown or tan polished leather oxfords, popper-studded leather sandals, sporty activewear-inspired sandals, two-tone desert boots

Accessories: Open-topped leather shoppers, across-body binoculars case bags, sporty backpacks, quilted weekend bags; rolled neckerchiefs, large fringed cashmere scarves, short cord necklaces featuring mother of pearl inlaid beetle pendants, knitted club ties, a 24-carat-gold thread shot tie, piped-frame sunglasses

Jean Paul Gaultier

Much hullabaloo is often made of Jean Paul Gaultier's costumic themes – we had James Blond last season - but for spring/summer 2012 Gaultier was bereft of an obvious theme. Without his punks or pirates, his collection felt all at sea in a hotch potch of looks.

The look: Anything goes

Silhouette: Tailored and layered

Key items: Tailoring is always a key component for JPG, and here he offers trompe l’oeil-effect three-piece suits comprising of tailored jackets and all-in-one waistcoats (US: vest) and trousers; evening suits are deconstructed and see tux jackets paired with coloured pants or shorts in aloha floral prints. Elsewhere suit trousers are largely full and pleat-fronted and waistcoats feature scalloped lace trims. Outerwear including jean jackets, baseball jackets and signature trench coats, arrive in tartan-printed organza and revealed printed shirts beneath. Elsewhere there are kilt-pleated shorts as well as straight-leg options, striped knit vests (US: tanks) and polo tops

Colour: While there is no cohesive colour palette, pops of royal blue, kingfisher blue and tomato red enlivened the wealth of black, navy, grey and tartan blue-green

Fabric & knit: Satin, raw indigo denim, python skin, leather, tartan, printed organza, cotton, micro houndstooth, pinstripe suiting

Print & pattern: Retro Hawaiian landscapes/postcard prints, aloha florals, signature sailor stripes, small-scale florals for shirting, tartan, an all-over repeat of Rue Saint-Martin road signs

Details & trims: Multiple pockets, scalloped-edge lace trims, rhinestones, notched lapels

Footwear: Printed hi-tops, lace-up plimsolls, suede loafers, pointed satin evening shoes

Accessories: Skinny ties, cummerbunds, tartan or striped socks, fringed tartan scarves

Viktor & Rolf Monsieur

                          

Spring/summer 2012 took on a sunny aspect at Viktor & Rolf, who moved away from their signature conceptual looks to present a collection of neat 70s-inspired resortwear based around a Mediterranean palette, with some offbeat fabric mixes and playful dolphin motifs.

“This spring/summer 2012 Monsieur reflects a new age mood. He remains the same creative man - the sexy intellect - whose wardrobe is an authentic mix of formal and informal. Our Monsieur is on a mystical and spiritual journey and is attracted to magical symbols and serene shades. He's investigating boundaries, but within his own world,” said Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren.

The look: Summer vacation

Silhouette: Neat tailored resortwear

Key items: The collection emphasises a casual formal mix, with sharp peaked lapel 70s-style SBs and classic 70s pant shapes teamed with printed half-sleeved resort shirts and patterned polos in a mismatched palette and lightweight fabric mixes. Casual pants have a sporty appeal, with drawstring waists or a cut-off denim waistband, perfect to layer with a crisp white 4-pocket Harrington hybrid or even the design duo's unexpected lace shirt. The trench and the western jacket offer diverse outerwear options, fabric-blocked in toning shades of blue suede and denim and for evening, crisp tuxedos and bow ties offset with the incongruous mix of minimal sandals and socks

Colour: A summery palette reflecting the colours of Mediterranean resorts with washed sky blue, deep ultramarine and indigo complemented with old gold, Dijon, soft lemon, brick and warm terracotta, pebble grey, soft sage and bois de rose

Fabric & print: Mohair suiting, nylon twill, pressed cotton, chambray, denim, suede, jersey, summer checks, lace, silk, cotton shirtweights

Print & pattern: Playful dolphin intarsias and regular repeat all-over dolphin motifs worked on half-sleeve shirts or polos. Spots on a white ground, horizontal toning stripes

Details & trims: Cut-off denim waistbands on pants, drawstring waist pants, elongated plackets on polos, fabric-blocking, sharp peaked lapels

Footwear: Cleat-soled white boots, minimal X-strap sandals, piped loafers, snakeskin derby

Accessories: Straight top sunglasses with built-up bridge, socks

Yohji Yamamoto

A stellar showing from Yohji Yamamoto, who played with volume and subtle Japonesque workwear influences for a serene collection with a timeless aesthetic that spoke of a gentler bygone era.

The look: Ethnic workwear

Silhouette: Layered volume worked in trapeze-like shapes

Key items: Yamamoto's signature overscaled jackets come with patchwork backs this season, layered over easy tunic shirts, some with collarless details others with military pockets or worn belted to become a jacket hybrid. The focus of the collection comes in the form of wide-legged pants and culottes – often pleated or constructed like soft chaps to layer over wide-legged pants or slim-cuffed trousers. Mismatched pattern play adds to the layered feel along with easy duster coats, shrug-on cardigan jackets and elongated placket Henleys

Colour: Unexpected pops of brights highlight a palette of traditional darks based aound black and indigo, damson, espresso and charcoal punctuated with parrot green, cerulean blue, candy pink, poppy and mint with soft sage and sand bringing in an subtle earthy feel

Fabric & knit: Natural cottons and linen, washed finishes, silk, jersey

Print & pattern: There is a traditional ethnic feel in the subtle mismatched prints, with precise block patterns contrasted with random all-overs, micro florals and pin-prick markings like vintage batiks

Footwear: Plimsolls, flat lace-ups, work boots

Accessories: Unstructured trilbies, soft caps, scarf-like belts, narrow leather belts, striped ties

Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake may be in a state of transition following the departure of Creative Director, Dai Fujiwara, but that didn’t stop the design team from pulling off a strong collection for spring/summer, full of easy Asian-referenced silhouettes, vivid colour and bold prints.

The look: Modern ethnic

Silhouette: Relaxed Asian-inspired and unstructured

Key items: Unstructured duster coats and relaxed SBs provide the perfect team mates for easy wide-cropped pants cut with soft volume, a key look mirrored in boxy shirt jackets and oversized half-sleeve shirts. Diffused panels of vivid colour add interest to crisp white shirts, bringing a subtle ethnic look into play along with the almost ikat-like stripes used on dark suitings and the drapey sarouel hybrids. Other key items evolve around layering pieces like the unstructured neck knits, simple tank tees and neat buttoned waistcoats

Colour: Soft neutrals like bone white, string and sand tempered a range of vivid blues from ultramarine to aqua and peacock with flashes of sky blue, chrome yellow and espresso

Fabric & knit: Washed cotton, linen, silk, summer checks, marld knits and jersey, striped knits

Print & pattern: An exaggerated diagonal wave-like tie-dye effect stripe, diffused colour-block panels, ikat-like weaves, striped knits

Details & trims: Drawstring hems on soft pants

Footwear: Strappy sandals, vivid-coloured lace-ups with contrast laced detail

Accessories: Small-brimmed woven trilbies

Rick Owens

A stunningly simple look from Rick Owens. He took the current mood for androgyny to the max by reinterpreting wardrobe basics - like the dress, skirt, toga and tunic - into a gender-blend asexual collection of geometrical layered pieces that crossed the traditional male-female divide.

The look: Androgyny

Silhouette: Long and draped or multi-layered

Key items: The tailored SB gets a makeover in elongated proportions, with frock coat hems and an inset panelled revers to layer over the simplest A-line floor-skimming dresses and straight-cut maxiskirts with a back split hem. Long tunic tops and tunic knits complete the look, worked with funnel necklines, engineered gradated stripe placements or a vertical band of printed linear motifs. Toga-like drapes add soft volume to the look, creating an alternative dress hybrid, while skinny leggings and a slim padded coat silhouette had a more masculine appeal

Colour: A monastic palette that revokes colour in flavour of asexual black, white, charcoal, pebble, string, sand and a hint of ink

Fabric & knit: Flat suitings, melanged and slubbed effects, sheened mohair suitings, papery cotton, cotton, lightly padded effects, raw silk, silk shantung, jersey, compact knits

Print & pattern: Gradated vertical panelled stripes, abstract angular grid lines in white on black

Details & trims: Soft ruched unstructured hemlines, triangular cowls on cotton tunic shirts

Footwear: Unlaced military boots in black or grey

Accessories: Neckerchiefs, dark sunglasses with a straight-cut built-up bridge

Alexis Mabille

For spring/summer 2012, Alexis Mabille unveiled a new collaboration with intimates label Hom. as models peeled off their clothes to reveal the goods. The apparel collection riffed on the perennial nautical story, with sailor stripes and chain motifs adding an on-trend touch with sporty influences.

The look: Sporty nautical

Silhouette: Athletic and top heavy

Key items: As part of the collaboration with Hom, Mabille offers a new range of underwear and swimwear, including briefs, short boxers and mankinis, as well as V-necked tees, striped socks, hooded dressing gowns in satin or waffle cotton, and jersey track pants tapered to a skinny ankle cuff. For the main collection bottomweights include slim-fitting cargo pants, some cuffed at the knee as long shorts, wide pleat-front shorts and straight-cut tailored pants; tops are sporty, with oversized sweatshirts, a zippered baseball jacket/track top hybrid, bibbed granddad tees or vests, and hooded shirts – some with drawstring waists; tailoring is largely slim-fitting comprising 1SB jackets and those straight-leg pants, while outerwear highlights offered a belted mac and trench coat, and a grey marl jersey pea coat with striped revers and low-placed DB buttons

Colour: Grey, black, white and navy

Fabric & knit: Jersey - bonded, cotton, silk, Lycra stretch; grey chambray, linen, cotton, gingham, checked shirting cottons, satin, ciré, waffle cotton

Print & pattern: Typographical slogans, trompe l'oeil chain, Breton stripes in varying scale and placements

Details & trims: Contrast revers, white shirt collars and cuffs, bib-fronts, striped edging trims, cargo pockets, V-necks, drawstrings, feature stitching at the knee, low placement DB buttoning, hoods

Footwear: Jute trimmed canvas espadrilles

Accessories: Bandana scarves worn around the wrist, large link chain bracelets; across-body chain-strapped mini bags, canvas shoppers with knotted rope handles; animal print belts

Dries Van Noten

Other designers may be touting rock 'n' roll looks or carefree resort dressing for spring/summer 2012, but Dries Van Noten was preoccupied with the funtionality of outdoor clothing for next season – specifically waterproof clothing for men who spend their time hunting, shooting and fishing.

The look: Protective

Silhouette: Covered-up and functional tempered with lean tailoring

Key items: Outerwear is the focus of this collection, with variations on a theme for functional parkas, anoraks and zipped-through cabans all worked with a multitude of pocket details, contrast bound trims, drawstrings and funnel necklines. Layering is another key theme, with wide-legged shorts worked over straight-cut pants or leggings, crisp white shirt tails peeping from the hemlines of parkas or tailored jackets. Tailoring is slick and lean worked in sheened fabrications with 6DB jackets and low-slung pleat front tapered pants, while easy tunic knits come in dry-handle textured yarns and a profusion of stripes add a touch of pattern play for casual shirts and pants 

Colour: A palette of intense summer darks confirm midnight blue and deep aubergine as key colours for next summer, here offset with espresso and sand with vivid accents of industrial orange and chrome yellow

Fabric & knit: Technical nylons and coated fabrics are the order of the day contrasted with silks and fluid satins, crisp cottons or rustic linen-like textures, sometimes in one garment as in fabric-blocked ciré with linen effects. Knits add texture with dry-handle yarns in plains and stripes

Print & pattern: Stripes worked as panel details or as all-overs

Adam Kimmel

Adam Kimmel’s spring/summer collection may not have been groundbreaking in terms of setting trends or defining conceptual new aesthetics, but where this designer scores is that he produces clothes men will actually want to wear.

The look: Rugged and sporty

Silhouette: Lean but fluid casual/formal layers

Key items: Sporty outerwear is always a strong look from this designer and for summer 2012, parkas, a waxed cotton caban and rugged blousons come layered over simple zipped-through jackets and tops, to team with boyish knee-length shorts or slouchy zipped hem pleat-front pants. Zips are a recurring theme, trimming leather colour-blocked Harringtons, splicing the neck of a striped polo top or tracing the front of an easy all-in-one, while sheened suitings bring a slick look to SB tailoring. Half-sleeved resort shirts provide the blank canvas for overdyed florals or a micro skateboarder print,  soft fine-gauge knits come with the playful contrast of coloured welt trims, while a basic T-shirt gets a fashion makeover with a rainbow-coloured psychedelic logo

Colour: Black, midnight, espresso, mole, taupe and bone white with old gold and poppy highlights

Fabric  & knit: Waxed cotton, nylon, leather, drill, silky shantung effects, two-tone mohair suitings, melanged fine-gauge knits, jersey, washed linen and cotton.

Print & pattern: A grid-like pattern on dark grounds, fleck-like all-over motifs in black and white with a micro skateboarder motif, overdyed floral

Details & trims: White exposed zips, contrast welts, contrast hoods

Footwear: Work boots, simple canvas slip-on deck shoes

Accessories: Mirrored eyewear, colourful printed scarves

Read more »

Live From... Paris Fashion Week, Day 5

Haider Ackermann 

A perfectly pitched collection from Haider Ackermann, who is becoming a force to be reckoned with on the Paris schedule. No longer the preserve of a small band of fashionistas in the know, Ackermann has extended his repertoire lately, and works colour with a masterly hand for silhouettes that riffed the season’s masculine/feminine vibe, combined with some seriously sensuous fabric mixing.

The look: A seductive twist on the trend for masculine/feminine dressing
Silhouette: Unstructured and layered versus strict hourglass
Key items: Masculine tailoring was the core that ran throughout, with tuxedo-inspired ankle-skimming coats, cinched at the waist and with a soft rounded shoulder, or the sharp peaked-shoulder velvet and satin blazer layered over a trapeze-line dress and narrow cigarette pants. A more feminine mood came into play, with the second-skin pencil skirts, lapping the ankle with a trailing asymmetric hem, tethered with a waist-whittling wide belt, or in Ackermann’s sensuously draped silk dresses, strictly belted and with high, scrunched, wrapped necklines. Cropped tuxedos and soft wrapped leather jackets were teamed with velvet or satin pants, worked in intense jewel-coloured layers, with softly draped satin blouses or tautly ruched fine-gauge knits
Colour: Ackermann’s palette summed up the key colour trends for next winter, with his jewel-bright garnet red, peacock blue and sapphire, mallard green and soft olive, offset with the contrast of winter white, black and mole grey
Fabric & knit: Sensuous fabrications gave this collection its edge, with lustrous silky satins worked against the most sinuous leathers, shearling and suedes, sooty velvet, felted bouclés, sequins and loosely structured tweed
Details & trims: Ravaged hemlines
Footwear: High-heeled platform boots
Accessories: Gauntlets, deep alligator belts, narrow belts, striped scarves

Junya Watanabe

A strongly focused collection from Junya Watanabe, who took the ubiquitous biker jacket as his tipping point and worked it every which way into myriad unexpected silhouettes. Add cocooning knits and textured outerwear into the mix, and you had a highly believable look, a little bit beatnik, a little bit punky gamine.

The look: Subversive biker chic
Silhouette: Hourglass shapes contrasted with ovoid cocooning
Key items: The biker jacket appeared in every manifestation, from strictly waisted and hourglass layered over knee-length swirling skirts, to square-cut and boxy teamed with leather jeans. Or with a graceful picture collar, caped fabric sleeves or a softly caped back, or even cut as a leather cape and simple hip-belted dresses with leather biker collar and sleeve details. Leather dresses offered an alternative look, sinuously cut as a ruched tank, topped with a faux-fur boa, or draped into ovoid-shaped togas. Outerwear was simply styled, with big cocooning coats worked in dimensional faux furs - perfect to layer over a series of knitted sweater dresses and big slouchy knits
Colour: It was black all the way, with the odd jolt of cognac and bisque
Fabric & knit: Leather, crackled leather, faux leather, lightweight wools, heavy-gauge dimensional matted knits, dense faux furs, spongy bouclé knits
Print & pattern: An abstracted skin pattern on faux furs
Details & trims: Zips, corseted waists
Footwear: Masculine chelsea boots
Accessories: Black opaque hosiery

Loewe 

After the kitsch candy colours of summer, Stuart Vevers drove his quirky twists into the classic Loewe style in a much subtler way this season. Yes, there were pops of bright colour here and there, but there were also luxe furs mixed with lo-fi sheepskin, raw antelope hides acting as surprise back panels and a series of bonded leather dresses and tops worn back to front. “Outerwear was our big statement,” said Vevers. “We worked to push the techniques with leather such as bonding, to create more sculpted silhouette. Colour is always important and something about brown just felt right, with pops of colour for the bags.”

The look: Subtly twisted luxe
Silhouette: 60s A-line swing
Key items: With outerwear the core drive this season, options included A-line swing coats with skinny martingales, cropped DB pea coats with bracelet-length sleeves, chunky sheepskin flight jackets, oversized coats with a domed shoulderline and a couple of fluffy fox-fur gilets. Other leatherwear highlights included a matching button-through pencil skirt and stock tie shirt, a dropped-waist dress with box-pleated skirt, short-sleeved sheaths - one with a corseted waist, another decorated with black jewels - and quirky shirts and dresses with back-to-front buttoning. There were coordinated silk separates comprising prim Peter Pan-collared shirts worn with high-waisted box-pleat kilts, and stretch knit leggings and tube skirts that were used as layering pieces.
Colour: A shaded palette built around Loewe’s signature “oro” brown - ecru, caramel, chocolate, chestnut and black against pops of bright kitsch colour - red, turquoise, marigold and oliveFabric & knit: Signature nappa, including new bonded leathers; ostrich, suede, nubuck, shearling, fox, calfskin and antelope hair; silk, bonded cashmere, stretch knits
Print & pattern: A black-and-white trompe l’oeil herringbone and a digitally enhanced repeat inspired by the stained-glass rose windows of Borgo Cathedral, both on silk
Details & trims: Structured seams, fox collars and sleeves, round childlike plastic buttons, skinny martingales, black-on-black jewels, buckled leather kilt straps, back-to-front buttoning, stock ties, box pleats, a contrast antelope-skin back panel on a coat, double-strap collar buckles on flight jackets
Footwear: Shoes were inspired by men’s oxfords, brogues and loafers in rubbed cordovan leather - calf-length lace-up boots and shorter shooties with stacked heels, open-toed slingbacks with kiltie fringe
Accessories: Bags were luggage inspired - a suede Gladstone bag, small hard boxes studded with gold nail-heads. Other bags were small and neatly structured in bright pops of coloured and padded nappa with heavy gold locks. Long fingerless knitted gloves, resin cuffs

Sonia Rykiel 

“This is about a woman who is into life and everything that is going on in the world,” said Nathalie Rykiel backstage after the show. More precisely, it would seem the Rykiel girl is currently “into” Scotland, bringing home its tartans, Argyles and Fair Isle knits, and wrapping them up in a Parisienne medley of pattern and colour. “There has always been tartan at Rykiel, but this time it was more of a focus – as patchworks or against satin,” continued Rykiel. “There were a lot of mixed fabrics and mixed colours this season, but it was still very considered.”

The look: Left Bank lassie
Silhouette: Cosy layers
Key items: It was a mishmash of individual pieces including a host of pant shapes - ski-pant leggings with plaid stripe running down the side, corset-waisted tapered and cuffed tartan pants with a vertical fringe running the length of the leg, snug-fitting flat-front options with mismatched plaid legs, and pair of wide-legged tartan trousers. These were topped with neat sweaters, some with floppy bows or quilted sleeves, others featuring collars and jewel-buttoned henleys. A pantsuit in overscaled grey plaid with a longline DB jacket was the only piece of tailoring, while outerwear was cosy and oversized with huge fur sleeves. Other highlights included a roomy military wool parka and quilted baseball jackets, one lengthened into a coat. Signature sweater dresses arrived long-sleeved and with banded waists, in textured Aran stitches, Argyle diamonds or Fair Isle - the latter topped with a matching cardigan coat with quilted ciré lining - while for evening, maxidresses were fluidly columnar and featured bra cups and lingerie details
Colour: Grenadine and poppy red with yellow cognac, shots of royal blue, Kelly green and fuchsia, with black, cream and faux nude
Fabric & knit: Tartans and plaid wools, knitted Argyle diamonds and patchworked Fair Isles, Aran stitches; quilted satin, kidassia goat, dyed fox, long Mongolian lamb, silk, georgette, wool crepe
Print & pattern: Silhouette maple leaf
Details & trims: Diamond quilting, contrast edging, baseball-jacket collars, fox-fur sleeves, halternecks, bra-cup/lingerie detailing, low-scooping backs, jewelled gobstopper buttons, metallic foil stripes, paillette pattern resembling stylised houndstooth, contrast sleeves (fabric and colour), keyholes, maple-leaf appliqués, tiered stripes
Footwear: Courts with elastic strap, thick-soled mannish lace-ups reminiscent of brothel creepersAccessories: Mini satchels with long shoulder straps, a huge weekend bag in tartan with fringing and quilting; oversized chunky wrap-around scarves, stoles and shawls

Cacharel 

The proportional layering that has appeared elsewhere this season played out at Cacharel, as designer Cédric Charlier worked minimal and sometimes sporty shapes in triple tiers. The cool and neutral palette made the layers look wearable not awkward, at times no more than a couple of graduated tops and a longline pant. Naturally for Cacharel, print was also important and arrived as a hand-drawn floral doodle touched with mere hints of colour. “I tried to develop a new technique for print,” said Charlier. “I wanted to superimpose hand-drawn florals with touches of colour that made them look realistic and surrealistic, creating a new phantasmagoric effect. If the shapes look simple or minimal, that’s great, but the construction is really rigorous.”

The look: Delicate minimalism
Silhouette: Boxy minimal with triple layers
Key items: Triple-layering was Charlier’s key motif, comprising minimal, almost sporty jackets or simple T-shirts teamed with short structured pencil skirts with fluid silk skirts then peeking out at the hem. That same triple layering was also applied to upper layers - those same jackets featuring cutaway collars that revealed a crewneck sweater atop a collared shirt. Elsewhere there were ribbed-knit tunic sweaters, long-sleeved fluid silk dresses in various lengths, funnel-necked coats and jackets, Mongolian lamb gilets and casually wide-legged pants worn with proportionally layered tees, sweaters and tops, repeating that triple-layered effect, while tailoring came in the form of short shorts or cropped pants with elongated jackets
Colours: Ecru and warm white, taupe, putty and faux nude, with washed sage and chartreuse greens, with inky navy blue to finish
Fabric & knit: Silk, wool, ribbed knits, wool crepe, Mongolian lamb
Print & pattern: Whimsical hand-drawn floral placements in white, with dabs of colour - orange, yellow and turquoise - on either an ecru or navy ground
Details & trims: Cutaway collars, bateau and straight-cut off-the-shoulder necklines, turtlenecks, wide hoods, crisp box pleats 
Footwear: Curved-heel ankle boots in orange coral, navy or ecru
Accessories: Frosted-frame round sunglasses

Véronique Leroy 

It was difficult to ascertain which era Véronique Leroy was referencing with her latest showing. There were elements of the 50s in her ladylike below-knee silhouettes, but they lacked the sexy va-va-voom of that period, coming in vintage colour mixes and unseductive fabric textures.

The look: Demure and geeky
Silhouette: Boxy and covered-up
Key items: Boxy tunic shapes coloured everything from woollen shift dresses to tweedy suits, via tunic tops layered over below-knee pencil skirts, shrug-on slope-shouldered jackets and a square-cut bouclé top. Ladylike dress shapes came in chevroned colour-blocked mixes, tethered with incongruous military buckled belts, while a slick patent pencil skirt and jacket nodded towards a more seductive look, and sparse daisy-patterned dresses and skirts brought a more feminine feel into play
Colour: Black and winter white, bisque and camel, with rich shots of midnight blue, chestnut and grenadine, offset with pale mint and apricot as offbeat accent colours
Fabric & knit: Nubby shearling and bouclé brought dimensional textures into play, tweedy effects, astrakhan textures, crepe de chine, wet-look patent, melanged wools
Print & pattern: A micro daisy pattern, colour-blocked chevrons
Details & trims: Contrast binding, leather trimsFootwear: Platform chelsea boots, chunky sandalsAccessories: Constructivist metal earrings, wire-framed spectacles, ankle socks, military-buckled white belts

Viktor & Rolf 

Inspired by medieval knights, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren created an army of battle-ready crusaders, applying their innovative tailoring skills to pleating techniques, which created fierce coats and armoured dresses with edges as sharp as a sword. “We wanted to create a glamorous fashion crusade with strong women battling for beauty,” they said. “We used bonded wools to create sharp, faceted armour that looked like steel, not fabric.” 

The look: Medieval crusaders
Silhouette: Fierce fit and flare
Key items: Military-influenced maxi coats with nipped waists and an A-line flare featured spike-pleated sleeves and necklines, while wool jackets sported face-framing collars and wide revers. Trousers were wide cut with a deep turn-up cuff, or slim with a red officer’s stripe, and bandeau jumpsuits were cut loose, sitting away from the body. Box-pleated skirts were paired with snug sweaters featuring a placement rose intarsia, or organza shirts with spike-pleated sleeves, while draped silk dresses with a cross motif evoked crusade flags. Tailored wool jackets were nipped at the waist and featured ruffled fronts and cutaway shoulders, while cocktail dresses were severe in structure, either with crisply pleated skirts and sash-like wraps around the torso or as a single shoulder strap, or fierce spike-pleated leather dresses in matt silver leather
Colour: Black, red, off white and matt silver 
Fabric & knit: Double-faced wool, bonded wool, tuxedo wool suiting, felted knits, leather, glittery lace, organza, open-mesh knits, velvet, silk chiffon, taffeta linings, quilted PVC, beaver furPrint & pattern: Heraldic rose intarsia 
Details & trims: Sculptural face-framing collars, circular fan pleats, spiky ridged pleats, patent quilted leg-of-mutton sleeves, cutout shoulders, elbow slashes, cadet pleats, ruffles created by squares hung on point, metal-tipped corners, raw edges
Footwear: Ankle boots with winged topline, and tall boots - both with red suede shoes and black patent wells. Patent peep toes with pleated frill, silver-foil sandals with pleated frill acting as a T-bar
Accessories: Across-body satchel, leather clutches in shape of a folded bow, belt bags, gloves with contrast-coloured fingers

Jean Paul Gaultier 

With their beehives and sexy pencil-skirted wiggles, the models at Jean Paul Gaultier could have been the epitome of 60s chic, but this is JPG and nothing is done with a straight face. Forty-something French comedienne Valérie Lemercier opened the show with a partial striptease, while the younger models who followed in her comical wake arrived with greyed hair, dressed in frumpy tweeds and tartans, and dragging wheely-trollies behind them - by all accounts, this was Gaultier’s take on granny chic.

The look: 60s chic with a granny twist
Silhouette: Masculine tailoring vs sexy hourglass shaping
Key items: Every exit was a performance, with models peeling off coats, gloves and scarves in a partial striptease, but essentially looks were built on the repetition of just a few core items - wide-legged mannish slacks, silky pussy-bow blouses, hip-hugging pencil skirts and the occasional box-pleat midi. Wrap skirts were layered over dresses or pants, an effect also achieved with coats, which had contrast panels that created the illusion of a cropped jacket-and-skirt combo - such as the neoprene trench with patent-leather skirt or the alpaca wrap coat with brown leather skirt. Other outerwear options included a couple of quilted ciré puffa coats with banded fur skirts, and tailored frock coats for evening looks, which topped fluidly columnar maxi sheaths
Colour: Black and charcoal grey, tertiary browns and classic camel, navy blue with red tartan, glittery bronzeFabric & knit: Heathered tweeds, herringbone, red tartan, printed silks, super-glossy patent leather, glittery Lurex knits, pinstripe suiting, metallic and multicoloured jacquard, quilted ciré, suede, bonded neoprene printed in chalkstripe; fox, chinchilla, mink
Print & pattern: A printed chalkstripe, variegated stripes - black on red, overlaid spots, 60s geometric wallpaper prints, Art Nouveau floral, a cameo print
Details & trims: Leather collars and edging trims, mink or fox banded trims, black cowls, fur portrait coat collar
Accessories: Extra-long scarves and wraps, silk-fringed silk foulards, tinted sunglasses with graded lenses, peaked catseye opticals with chain, long leather gloves, stud earrings; pull-along shopping trolley

Comme des Garçons 

Rei Kawakubo played with the sum of two parts for her autumn/winter showing, combining crisp mannish tailoring with soft feminine draping for her own idiosyncratic play on the season’s trend for gender-bending.

The look: Gender-bender
Silhouette: Structured tailoring contrasted with soft, bunched drapery
Key items: The masculine tailored jacket was the linchpin of the collection, reworked in several manifestations, which came as spliced half jackets anchoring contrast tied-on sleeves, layered with boyish shorts, demure ruffled cami-knicks and taut transparent tops. Those same jackets added crisp flat planes to Kawakubo’s bunched and ruched scarf dresses in a rainbow of brights - often combined with scrolling satin ruffles - while military-style trench coats were deconstructed and reformed into dimensional knots and twists to create an altogether different hybrid. And to close, a fly-front gilded A-line coat. Plain and simple
Colour: A strictly masculine palette of black and charcoal, with inky blue accented with a rainbow of vivid brights and a hint of cosmetique pink and gold
Fabric & knit: Snakeskin effects, washed wools and flannels, silk, satin, velvety flocking on a flat suiting, silver and gold jacquard, velvet
Print & pattern: Flocked coin spots, a multitude of jazzy scarf prints
Details & trims: Ribbon ties anchoring separate tie-on sleeves, ruched ruffles
Footwear: Flat mannish lace-ups as classic brogues, two-tone effects, and with striped units
Accessories: Ankle socks

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