Céline Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2010

Phoebe Pilo’s debut springcollection at Céline was a huge success. Copies of her crisply chic safari jackets and dresses, the long white shirts and A-line skirts are dominating the stores of  cheap fashionlabels as we speak, but the house’s originals are also selling very well. Philo’s first collection was  a breath of fresh air at a time when fashion needed a respite from recession and the glamazon  look of black leather and big shoulders.

So expectations were high for her second collection. But as Philo said in her interview with T-magazine, she continued her work with great investment pieces in the best fabrics and in her signature clean, sophisticated cut. No frills, but deep blue coats instead, tailoring, short jackets, skinny pants, white (lace) shirts and leather pockets as a contrasting detail at A-line skirts. Ultra-chique and a winner were the white lammy capes. Simple, but feminine.

Costume National Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2010

The Costume National-collection reflected the menswear-collection, presented earlier this year in Milan, with lots of knitwear, wool and leather. The overall image was that of a tough girl wearing brown  leather suits or skirts mixed with fluffy, fringy knitted jackets, sometimes sleeveless,  and sweaters. Dresses were short and also had fringed detailing.

It was the usual Costume National mix and match of contrasting structures in fabrics, shiny and matte, fluffy and smooth, woven and knitted. Sometimes orange clashed with brown, or silver with black. Only this time it looked more tailored but raw too.

Hussein Chalayan Catwalk Fashion Show FW2010

When we arrived at Chalayan’s fashion show the building was filled with the sound of busy city traffic. After everyone was seated (in the way too small chairs) smoke was blown in the air and we heard Chalayan paying a tribute to designer Alexander McQueen on his show soundtrack.

The first few models that were sent out on the runway wore some kind of fireman hats with long flaps at the back. Stiff, dark-colored coats, jeans and grey gym shoes completed their looks.

Then the traffic sounds changed into the sounds of birds, a church clock and a tram and models in different styles entered the runway. They wore headpieces like straw bonnets, metal antenna’s with a feather at the end and some face-covering silver Lurex.

A few pairs of glasses, which read ‘mirage’ (also the name of the show) seemed to give us some explanation on the crazy line-up. Were the diverse designs and headpieces made up in one of Chalayan’s fashion Fata Morgana’s?

While the ‘music’ changed to all kinds of radio channels (we even heard Justin Timberlake’s –  Rock your body) models in big ruffled jackets came on. The jackets were purple- and red-colored and had a lot of volume. The ruffles popped up on a pair of shoes too and some models even wore red clogs.

Raincoats- and hats, capes with matching binoculars and high-waisted woolen pants were part of the mirage too. They were followed by long glitter dresses, shown in black, white, purple and blue. At the end of the show several black dresses with black and pink hats came by.

Altogether we thought it was one messy collection. It was only after Chalayan explained that the clothes represented different states in America (New York, Pennsylvania, Dallas, New Mexico, Utah and Las Vegas) the whole show idea became clear to us.

We felt like Chalayan could have explained it all a bit better…But then again, yesterday even Jean Paul Gaultier didn’t manage to portray his different countries so well in his show.

Karl Lagerfeld Catwalk Fashion Show FW2010

The latex headbands and leather leggings the models wore at Karl Lagerfeld almost were as shiny as the catwalk that was just polished by hand, right before the show. Powerful modern women walked the runway as if their life depended on it.

They looked like man-eaters attracting men with their sexy black outfits. Their streamlined clothes clearly accentuated their bodies. And it seemed like a flash of their shiny, embellished outfits would be enough to make any men indulge.

The woman must have known how much men like latex leggings, cause they were there in almost every look. Of course these leggings are easy to combine with many different outfits, yet Karl’s combinations – with skirts, dresses and coats – were superb.

Apart from the crystal embellishments Karl didn’t accessorize his looks too much. And that, we think, was a wise decision. Because when you show a collection like this, you don’t need all the extra fuss. All eyes needed to be on the strong, streamlined man-attracting designs.

Streetfashion Paris FW2010 Day 4

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Balenciaga-heels, your latest Marni-dress or that vintage YSL? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashionweeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Paris.

Comme des Garcons Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2010

Again the female body and fashion’s obsessions with it triggered Rei Kawakubo to create her fall winter collection for Comme des Garcons. And again, like in her spring 1997 collection, she aded bulk and heft to all the places fashion avoids if it seeks to flatter and make sexy.

Humps and bumps were placed on shoulders, hips, backs and bodices. Kawakubo used pillowform outcrops of padding which she added to the clothes – coats, jackets, pants, skirts, dresses – and therefor completely changed the silhouette. This was a show that discussed the rules of beauty, ‘Inside Decoration’ was the description the designer gave in her press release. It’s probably the beauty within that makes her ugly clothes shine and elegant.

But you’ll never know with Kawakubo, the only thing you know for sure is that she keeps on tickling you and you fashion-expectations over and over again.

Viktor & Rolf FW2010: transformation

The performance/show of Viktor & Rolf yesterday was about dressing and undressing, the whole machinery of fashion, the guts to wear something BIG and exaggerated. Especially the last transformation blew the audience’s mind: the big tulle skirt that the designers transformed into a huge cape/collar that was the topping on the last outfit.

A true fashion-moment.

Viktor & Rolf Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2010

It was the show we were all waiting for for a few seasons. A real Viktor & Rolf show, which gives you goose pimples, makes you cry a little and wonder for a few moments what the designers’ message was.

Supermodel of the eighties Kristen McMenamy took the centerstage as a stationary mannequin dressed in 12 layers of coats, jackets and one or  two dresses. The two designers undressed her on a rotating part of the runway by taking off one layer at the time and put that layer on a model who showed it walking along the catwalk. The second half of the show the designers put another 12 layers back on McMenamy.

The collection was mostly black with silver and white as contrasting elements. The focus was at big coats, sporty outerwear like anoraks, nylon/silk dresses, transparent shirts and short dresses.

The most interesting part of this performance was the way it affected the audience. I was feeling stressed and wanted the designers to hurry and get ready before the other model arrived with another layer to put on. But Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren worked in their own pace and it looked like a well-oiled machine.

I waited 3/4 of an hour backstage to get a comment of the designers on their collection, but too many people wanted to shake their hands and too many celebs needed a picture. So I’ll try to make a little translation myself: was this collection about the whole fashion-system as a machinery, all the little parts that make the whole machine going? The walls and catwalk were covered with paper designed by Studio Job with graphics referring to tools, machines, factories etcetera. Or was this also about the clothes were zippers and straps transformed the silhouettes or which were totally convertible themselves ?

A press release e-mailed after the show explained that the concept was an expansion of the couture show the duo staged ten years ago with Maggie Rizer as the Russian doll. “This time around, we wanted to show the possibility to be BOTH wearable AND extreme at the same time!” Ah.

At the end of the show the audience felt almost relieved that the designers made it till the end and the final outfit blew everybody’s mind. The cheering and applause was well deserved.

Streetfashion Paris FW2010 Day 3

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Balenciaga-heels, your latest Marni-dress or that vintage YSL? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashionweeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Paris.

Ann Demeulemeester Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2010

Wauw, that was a beautiful and very feminine collection Ann Demeulemeester showed today. The Belgian designer – famous for her strong and tough ladies – brought out an almost sensual, ladylike collection with wide legged, supple trousers, short jackets with small belts tied around the waist for a tailored silhouette, classic capes and blood red accents.

Maybe it was in the contrasting colors and fabrics, the wufty feathers, the gloves,  the softer fabrics and focus at the waist – it all made the tough Demeulemeester woman look a bit more vulnerable, and that’s a compliment.

Of course there were her signature boots, leather jackets and harnesses of braided cords and dark sentiments, but the romantic mood dominated the collection.

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