Alexander McQueen Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The Alexander McQueen-collection was an ode to The Ice Queen and her Court. Sarah Burton – who’s talent and character keeps the McQueen-house alive and kicking – gave her heroines a colorless faces and small, metal-covered heads.  She build the collection slowly, using white, black and lilac and a very McQueen silhouette. It was molded, strong, and sometimes fitted like a harness. To avoid a too tough and edgy impression Burton tempered it wit hand-made silk and wool tweeds with litlle pieces of  mink and fox.

Other beautiful fabrics were checked and studded velvets and organza, and really stunning were  two dresses with body’s  made entirely from mosaics of broken bone china plates. The evening gowns were just breathtaking.

Valentino Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The new Valentino is not red anymore, but a variation on nudes and blushes, a fitted dress with flared skirt and long sleeves, sometimes short, sometimes longer.
The fall-collection looked pretty and ladylike, wearable, cleaner and also sportier. There was a Sixties cut in the dresses,  jackets and swingy skirts but more casual. Designers Chiuri and Piccioli introduced also deeper colors, like navy and oxblood on fur coats and leather trench-coats. The sheer silk tops,  pleated skirts and long, slim evening-gowns were done in lighter colors and fabrics.

Chanel Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The Chanel-show and -collection gave the audience a post-apocalyptic feeling. The smoking lava, the gray and black painting and music by The Cure all added this dark touch to the clothes.

Yves St. Laurent Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

That was a clear collection Stefano Pilati presented for Yves St. Laurent. He opened with Prince of Wales-checks neatly tailored into coats, capes and suits. Jackets were mixed with pleated miniskirts and drop-waist dresses. One was done in patent leather with a cocoon back and a checked skirt with a blue hem. This collection didn’t refer to Mod or schoolgirls as we’ve seen in other collections. This was for grown up women. Accessories added the right touch: chain chokers and suede laced up boots.

The checks came back in the whole collection, sometimes blown up and even with degradé-effect on fur.  The second part of the show was about texture: dots punched out of patent leather tunics with different densities of tweed mixed in. It all culminated in a run of white silk crepe evening wear: fluid jumpsuits with halter necks and trompe l’oeil bustiers, ruffle collared backless dresses belted in more gold and one huge white marabou jacket to match.

Streetfashion Paris FW2011 Day 6

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Prada-shoes, your latest Jil Sander-dress or that vintage Yves St. Laurent? 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 Fashion Week.

Chloe Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The rumor went that Hannah McGibbon had to leave Chloe depending on the reaction to her fall 2011/12 collection. That rumor seemed false and the collection proved Chloe doesn’t need another designer.

Her signature pieces for the Chloe-girl were all in the collection:  ponchos, dungarees, denim, super-wide trousers. It’s a Seventies whirl with a modern attitude. The big story for fall is snakeskin: printed on chiffon blouses, coats, in panels, dyed green fro skirts, knitted into a dress. New also was a bold use of colour: red and green, mint and grey, brown, cream.  She even had a paisley-print.

The collection lacked a bit coherence though, there were romantic dresses, heavy kaftans, sporty leather suits, denim skirts. As if the designer had too many ideas.

Stella McCartney Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

Stella McCartney brought a strong, restraint, homme/femme collection to the audience. She not only played with sexes, she also played with surface and contrasting volumes. The show began with rippled organza cocoon tops in black and blue tucked into pencil skirts or trousers their full sleeves and voluminous shapes in contrast to the slim tailoring below the waist.

Then she sent out  oversized blazer dresses with exaggerated shoulders in brushed cashmere and roomy cable knits over loose trousers and pale sneakers with zips at the back. But she didn’t forget the sensual side of women, especially when it comes to eveningwear. Chiffon panels snaked around the sides of body-concious black dresses to make them even curvier.

She also seemed fond of a large polkadot-print,  having them onto sheer dresses or down the sides of sexy catsuits. She played with modern textures too, creating xl cocoon coats from gold felted wool and bonding dark blue velvet to scuba fabric for even sleeker tailoring.

Givenchy Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The Givenchy fall-collection was tacky, sexy, mature and elegant at the same time. The black panther played a major role in the collection as it appeared in print, hats and cut outs. It felt unexpected and striking but also uncomfortable, but in a sens it was intriguing too. It was a vibrant print, the black, gold and deep violet gave it a rich character – they sometimes morphed into a baroque print.

The clothes however were rather classic and feminine: pencil skirts, blazers and buttoned-up shirts done in shiny black silk, leather and velvet. It was the way they were presented plus the panther that gave it all a kinky edge. A variation on the strong silhouette were the sheer, narrow skirts worn under ruffled minis. Often the look was finished with a black fur or leather baseball jacket.  Beautiful, feminine pieces were the blouses done in pink embroidery and a cropped sweater in fluffy yellow mohair.

Kenzo Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The setting at Kenzo was beautiful and fairytale-like, the collection rich and romantic in color and mix.

Please enjoy the pictures for now, our review will follow soon.

Streetfashion Paris FW2011 Day 5

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Prada-shoes, your latest Jil Sander-dress or that vintage Yves St. Laurent? 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 Fashion Week.

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