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

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Live From... Paris Fashion Week, Day 9

Louis Vuitton

The final day of Paris saw an S&M extravaganza from Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, with the designer taking a tongue-in-chic 30s-style romp through what looked like the Frederick's of Hollywood back-catalogue. The collection combined demure Peter Pan-collared dresses with subversive transparent pencil skirts, Night Porter-style sheer jodhpurs and strict military patent trench coats. Add a sumptuous 30s deco setting, complete with uniformed bellhops and Kate Moss smouldering down the runway, and you have a sex-on-legs collection that put a touch of raunchy razzamatazz into an early Wednesday morning showing. 

The look: Deco sex sirens

Silhouette: Strictly hourglass

Key items: The patent wasp-waisted corset was the tipping point for a collection that teamed sheer organza shirts and skirts and Night Porter-style jodhpurs with strict pencil skirts and waist-cinched patent trench coats, rubberised lace maid’s dresses and strict sheath dresses in washed suede and feathers. Overscaled masculine tailored jackets and coats with big sloping shoulders were whittled to hand-span-width waists and tongue-in-cheek, butter-wouldn’t-melt buttoned-up dresses were teamed with Sunday-best white collars, a subversive fetish conversational print and big, childlike buttons. There were lingerie-inspired looks too in the knitted all-in-ones, while coats were big and cocooning with patent-trimmed Mongolian lamb. For evening, shards of glittering paillettes worked for simple A-line skirts and little shell tops

Colour: Rich darks such as bottle and damson were offset with black, white, midnight and grey with accents of blood red and cobalt blue

Fabric & knit: Sumptuous if incongruous mixes of washed suede, patent leather, moulded techno fabrics, feathers, dyed Mongolian lamb, cashmere and tweed

Print & pattern: A quirky conversational print of fetish motifs worked in dark grounds or matt-shine black-on-black colourways

Details & trims: White Peter Pan collars, big childlike buttons, contrast piping, gold buttons, velvet trims

Footwear: Subversive high-heeled rubber boots, high-heeled ankle-strap pumps, high laced boots

Accessories: Rubber gloves, sheer hold-up stockings, Night Porter military caps, fur muffs, fur LV bags, bucket bags, winter white patent bags, sequinned blindfolds

Miu Miu

 

 

After the brash-trash metallic leathers of last season, Miuccia Prada took a more elegant turn for winter, drawing reference from the 1940s - a time of womanly sophistication. Despite a FROW jam-packed with young Hollywood starlets, the key message was for grown-up glamour, albeit with a flash of glitter splashed across the feet. 

The look: 40s

Silhouette: Strong-shouldered wedge

Key items: Coats were drop-waisted and wedge-shaped, tapering to the knee from a strong squared shoulderline, some accentuated with mink shoulder details; there were also shorter boxy DBs and others with an exaggerated domed shoulder. Long-sleeved dresses were pinched at the natural or dropped waistline, and sometimes layered with short peplum skirts in dense wool or a twisted mink cumberbund, while a sporty passage in the middle of the collection offered pencil skirts topped with elongated sweatshirts, and a luxe tracksuit comprising an abbreviated sweatshirt worn with tailored jogging pants

Colour: Black, white, rust, mustard, navy and taupe

Fabric & knit: Cashmere, flannel, wool, compact tweed, silk, natural-colour brown mink

Print & pattern: Swallows - a revisited motif for Miu Miu - were rendered in a painterly effect; sprays of white flowers - lily of the valley, daisies and dandelion clocks

Details & trims: Shoulderlines were either strong and square, or rounded via a tapered 40s-style leg-of-mutton sleeve; pointed collars, off-centre coat closures, grosgrain ribbons, twisted mink cumberbunds and mink shoulder details, pinched ruching on dresses at natural or dropped waistlines, sequinned floral embroideries for evening looks

Footwear: Glittery peep-toe booties, ankle-strapped shoes with a folded fin

Accessories: Oversized pip-clasp purses, baseball caps, tortoiseshell or glitter resin-framed sunglasses

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Live From... Paris Fashion Week, Day 8

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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Live From... Paris Fashion Week, Day 7

Stella McCartney 

It should have been Stella McCartney’s moment, her signature masculine/feminine looks perfectly chiming with the trends seen elsewhere this season, and while she sent out a mix of mannish tailoring and demure ladylike dresses, their overscaled proportions made them somehow a little wide of the mark that defines those must-have-items of the season.

The look: Masculine/feminine

Silhouette: Overscaled and voluminous, contrasted with body-con for evening

Key items: The oversized blazer was the most obvious item in the collection, coming with Incredible Hulk shoulderlines, balancing slimmer bottomweights. That same sense of volume coloured an elongated blouson jacket worked in blister-quilted gold, while a more refined look came into play for the rounded tuxedo-inspired coat in milky-white cashmere. Dresses and tops veered between deep plunging necklines to round-necked demure, covered-up looks, worked in plissé effects or sturdy knit structures with exaggerated sleeve detailing. High-waisted pants and sensible knee-length pencil skirts were the perfect anchor points for the collection’s simple shell tops, while for those after-six moments, a series of appliquéd spotted sheers in black or white, with trompe l’oeil bustier dresses sporting revealing sheer panels and flirty peplum bodices, or a standout midnight-blue bonded velvet sheath with a cut-in halter neckline

Colour: A very concise palette of black, with shades of white from optic through to milk and ivory, deep sapphire blue, gold

Fabrics & knits: Plissé organza, satin and crepe de chine, bonded velvet, cashmere coatweights, wet-look finishes, metallic blister quilting, sheer tulle

Print & pattern: A photoreal print in black and white, or black and gold

Details & trims: Fabric-blocking

Footwear: Patent loafers, high-vamp heeled pumps

Accessories: Round clutch bags to mirror the collection’s spot theme, boxy clutch bags

Emanuel Ungaro 

It seems aeons ago that the beleaguered house of Ungaro had a signature handwriting, having undergone many transformations since its eponymous creator bowed out of the fashion spotlight. It remains to be seen whether its latest creative director, Giles Deacon, will be the man to bring the house back as a force on the Paris schedule. For his second RTW showing for the house, he opted for a sexed-up vixen theme that debunked fashion’s new mood for a more demure look, with his come-thither sheers and brash silhouettes, which despite having the hand of the best ateliers in the business - Lesage embroideries and Solstiss lace - had an uncomfortable sense of bling, rather than the discreet stealth wealth that is the mood of the moment. 

The look: Sex-vixen party girl

Silhouette: Strictly body-con

Key items: It was second-skin all the way for everything from micro-minidresses to dare-to-bare all-in-ones, all worked in degrees of transparencies, from all-over embroidered sheers to lace and satin panelled sheath dresses. Whether this party girl ever sees the light of day is debatable, but if she did she would wear Deacon’s skinny leather jeans with their dimensional fringed effects and exposed-zip fly, maybe teamed with a decorative chunky knit or a bling-bling crystal-embellished sweatshirt. Alternatively, she may throw a bonded leather boxy jacket over her heavily beaded miniskirt and sheer top. And for those seriously hot dates, printed satin sculpted dresses, a peekaboo velvet sheath with feather-trimmed back and burn-out sleeves, coloured fox chubbies, and a zipped-through lace all-in-one that would be more at home in the boudoir than the red carpet.

Colour: Black, jade green, turquoise, blush pink

Fabric & knit: Velvet, bonded leather, fringed leather, satin, chiffon, marabou, dyed fox, lace

Print & pattern: A wolf and eagle motif worked in embellished crystals, a photoreal feather print, a swirling smoky effect all-over

Details & trims: Exposed zips, crystal beading, gold embroidery

Footwear: Satin mesh heeled T-bars

Accessories: Metal collars, fingerless beaded gloves

Yves Saint Laurent

After the day’s bling excesses and the plays on exaggerated proportions seen elsewhere, it was down to Stefano Pilati to lead the way and show why Paris remains the crème de la crème on the RTW schedule, with his impeccably worked collection full of oh-so-subtle 60s and 70s archival references - a timely reminder of the history of this house, with the opening of the Yves Saint Laurent retrospective at the Petit Palais on Friday March 11. 

The look: Subtle 60s/70s

Silhouette: Neatly tailored, glamorously sophisticated, and fluid for evening

Key items: Neat tailored coats and suits had a gamine boyish appeal that chimes with the season’s masculine/feminine mood, with knee-length coats and low-breakpoint DBs teamed with demure pleated skirts. Caped coats and boxy fabric-blocked jackets, knee-length skirts and cropped cigarette pants, high-necked satin blouses and colour-blocked black and white tailoring continued the theme, along with a nod to the season’s hottest dress shape - the drop-waist shift, here with a patent bodice and cobalt blue-banded Prince of Wales check skirt. Evening was a purist affair, with a perfectly tailored white pantsuit offering a masculine slant on PM dressing, offset with gently draped bustier dresses falling from a sheer halter neckline, flowing palazzo pants and sheer halter tops, and a show-stopping finale of fluttering marabou and shimmering silk crepe that was the pure DNA of the house

Colour: A focused palette of black, white and grey, with piercing accents of ultraviolet and cobalt blue

Fabric & knit: The collection was an affirmation of the importance of checks for next season, as Pilati deconstructed and reworked classic Prince of Wales plaids and dogtooth checks into myriad variations on a theme, offset with wet-look, crystal-studded patent, cashmere, chiffon, silk crepe, marabou, mink and fox

Print & pattern: Prince of Wales check worked as a print

Details & trims: Fur trims, colour-blocking, chain trims, beaded chain links

Footwear: Over-knee boots, tasselled heeled loafers, heeled shooties, vampy ankle-strap platforms for evening

Accessories: Triple chain belts, chain necklaces, white belts, clutch bags, short gloves in black or white

Giambattista Valli

Fifties and 60s couture are usual hallmarks for Giambattista Valli, but for winter the designer turned a little more graphic, with boxy structures and short, youthful lengths. His monochrome palette, injected with neon brights, accentuated the streamlined shapes, while prints inspired by Flemish still-life paintings added just the right amount of contrast to keep it all fresh and new.

The look: Graphic eleganceSilhouette: Short and boxy

Key items: Short thigh-high shift dresses were littered throughout the collection; for day they arrived either simple and sleeveless, or with clipped cap sleeves, while for dressier styling there was a printed option with a swagged one-shoulder drape, or a couple with upward-facing fan-like ruffles arching at the waist. Luxe coats were another key focus and largely they were collarless with fly-front closures, some with two-tone panels, while an hourglass-shaped broadtail coat with goat-trimmed shoulders made a statement highlight. Cropped jackets, capes and shell tops in a shorter length than seen elsewhere this season were layered atop either A-line skirts, tulip skirts or slim cigarette pants, the latter with a high banded waist. Other pant shapes included tight treggings or long straight-cut tailored trousers, both flat-front, while for eveningwear – always a core focus for Valli – we saw ovoid maxiskirts paired with shell tops or tanks for that Jil Sander-style demi-couture look, or red-carpet-worthy gowns with huge dotted tulle skirts

Colour: Monochrome black, white and grey, with zingy splashes of sulphur yellow, hot pink and bright vermilion red

Fabric & knit: Compact tweeds, wool crepe, silk twill, semi-sheer knit, satin, silver jacquard, striped jacquard, cloqué, chiffon, dotted tulle; glossy broadtail, dyed mink, white goat hair

Print & pattern: Painterly Flemish-style still-life placements – a vase of tulips in yellow on black in grade shading, a bowl of fruit in grey on black or pink/red on white

Details & trims: Raised shoulders (sleeveless) revealing jewelled shoulder pads, puffed shoulder panels and skirt peplum, upward-facing fan-like ruffles, Peter Pan collars, banded waists, high jewel necklines, panelled or banded hems, raglan sleeves, super-sheer side panels creating illusionary hourglass shaping, one-shouldered drape; black-on-black cluster beading, random splotch-like lace beaded appliqués, cluster-beaded sleeve cuffs

Footwear: Patent loafers with a grosgrain over-strap and low mirrored heel, high-heeled calf-length boots in black patent leather or black satin decorated with clusters of black beads, silver leather courts (US: pumps) with black satin heel

Accessories: Articulated bracelets and short necklaces with faceted mirrored jewels

Vanessa Bruno

 

You can count Vanessa Bruno’s Parisian counterparts as Isabel Marant and Barbara Bui - three labels that put wearability and high fashion’s dirtiest word, commerciality, before flash-in-the-pan trends and head-scratching concepts. Here, Bruno riffed on her favoured peasanty looks, twisting in a touch of the new soft grunge trend we have seen elsewhere this season, with sloppy knits and oversized coats thrown over wafting skirts and dresses.

The look: Soft grunge

Silhouette: Casual, thrown-together layers

Key items: It was all about layering here, with core pieces including loose-fit shirts and peasant blouses, draped wrap dresses and split skirts with uneven hems, chunky cardigans or sloppy jumpers, and oversized outerwear including large blanket coats, pieced-suede duster jackets, and sweeping maxi coats. Elsewhere there were high-waisted wide-leg trousers in cotton velvet, paired with snug-fitting tailored jackets with an asymmetrical closure fastened with a single tiny metal clasp, and a passage of breezy draped dresses in billowing midi lengths.

Colour: Layered neutrals - white, taupe and cream; khaki, cognac, dark slate grey with dusty pink and emerald green

Fabric & knit: Cotton including white poplin and a grey plaid, boiled wool, metallic micro-patterned jacquard, silk, warm suede, cotton velvet, fluffy open-mesh knits, chunky rustic knits, looped wool stitches, faux fur

Print & pattern: Trompe l’oeil mesh print, hand-rendered sketch print with delicate tints of washed colour

Details & trims: Blanket-stitched edges, knitted sleeves and crocheted cuffs, satin edge trims, crafty wool or fur appliqué diamond patches, embroidered cutwork borders, fur collars, paper-bag waists

Footwear: Calf-length suede boots and platform leather boots with slouchy suede leg well

Accessories: Ribbed slouch socks, casual bags in tweed or woven leather

Chloé

After making simplicity her calling card at Chloé, Hannah MacGibbon broke out of that self-imposed aesthetic yesterday with a collection that maxed out on snakeskin and ventured into new colour territories. It was a bold move, considering rumours of a contract termination are circling, and one that not entirely paid off. The colour was clunky, the snakeskin overused and her successful 70s signatures lost in all the madness. 

The look: Casual 70s stylingSilhouette: Soft and loose

Key items: The collection was full of MacGibbon-for-Chloé staples, including long-sleeved midi-length 70s-style dresses, ruffle-necked shirts, capes and ponchos, and 70s pant shapes - this season pleat-fronted and super wide. There were also a couple of pairs of questionable dungarees and a tracksuit in suede and leather. More successful were the colour-blocked sweaters, neat silk shirts, denim gauchos and classic trench coats; also notable were the vertically panelled pants, although perhaps only for their similarity to former Chloé girl Phoebe Philo’s two-season staples at Céline

Colour: Signature neutrals - putty grey, beige and mink, with rich tan and mahogany browns. New colour usage - Crayola primaries of red, yellow and blue, with a shot of jade green

Fabric & knit: Snakeskin, supple leather, warm suede, super-fine chiffon, satin, felted wool, ribbed knits in chunky and medium gauges

Print & pattern: Snakeskin on chiffon and satin, paisley on yellow ground

Details & trims: Colour-blocking, spliced snakeskin striped panels, leather whip-stitching, shirring, ruffled necks and collars, long leather string fringing

Footwear: Platform wedge mules, chunky courts (US: pumps) in snakeskin, chunky block-heeled sandals with nail-head studs, patent T-bar shoes with ribbon bow

Accessories: Tan leather bucket bags, some with colour-blocked pockets, whip-stitched suede satchels; narrow snakeskin-print scarves, leather scarves

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