Steffie Christiaens Backstage Paris FW2011

We captured the hard work backstage during the preparations for Steffie Christiaens debut-show in Paris.

Steffie Christiaens Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

It doesn’t happen that often that a young fashiondesigner – notably from the Netherlands – gets a spot at the official calendar of the Paris Fashion Week and is able to give her first show in the middle of that week. Steffie Christiaens came out of the blue and presented her first collection on sunday.

Her concept is clear and explained at her website:

John Galliano Presentation/Show Paris FW2011

It should have been a presentation of the John Galliano-collection, but instead it was a small show in a small setting. Even Sidney Toledano,  the chief executive of Dior, which also invests in the Galliano brand, was there. Maybe as a signal of support for the staff members of Galliano’s atelier.It must have been strange for everybody who was there today, being there after such a difficult week following the scandal John Galliano got himself into.

The collection that was showed was – according to Cathy Horyn of the New York Times ‘fairly straightforward and typically Galliano, a mix of romantic dresses, a loosely draped mint kimono with black lace appliqué, a black vinyl trench and a silk halter dress printed with what appeared to be curlicues of cigarette smoke’.

Hermès Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

After big names like Jean Paul Gaultier and Martin Margiela, Hermès chose a less more well known designer to create their womenswear-collections. But not a less talented one! Christophe Lemaire (45) has been in the business for ten years, building his own brand and helping to give sportswear-related brand Lacoste a more fashionable face.

His first collection for Hermès was a mix between comfortable yet dressy sportswear and the loose layers we know from the late seventies. Chunky knits, tweeds, leather pants (sometimes with boots attached to it), straight T-shaped leather tops and beautiful coats and deux-pieces in a patchwork of the famous Hermès-shawls. The tunics and  and djellaba-inspired dresses gave it a slightly eastern touch. Colors ranged from off-white to black, mustard, petrol and orange.

Different from what we’re used to see from Gaultier, but still luxurious and elegant in a quiet way.

First View Paris FW2011: Dark Romance

The last few days in Paris a fantastic myriad of hybrid creatures passed by in a theatrical scenery. Mysteriously clad in dramatic silhouettes in exuberant fabrics and tailoring.

Rebellious and gothic, Amazonian warriors in black clouds of silk slung with giant leather belts. Haider Ackerman showed the most magnificent and elegant approach towards this dark witchcraft in dense burgundies, deep sapphires and intense forest green.

Black boots accessorize dresses and coats in silk, velvet, leather and fur. This feel for dark romance is wide spread on Paris catwalks.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam.

Costume National Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

It was a very minimalistic collection we saw today at Costume National. Mainly in black, but also mixed with light blue, yellow and red.

Please enjoy the pictures for now. We will post our review later.

Klavers van Engelen Collection FW2011

For coming fall Niels Klavers and Astrid van Engelen, the Dutch designers behind Klavers van Engelen, continued their search for designing as minimal as possible. They still want to create maximum effect wit less and less interventions.

The overall look is that of a beautiful piece of fabric thrown on the body by a gentle breeze. Adding knitwear to the Klavers van Engelen line for the first time, in downy and weightless mohair, as well as a deep dyed curly goat fur, they further explored their signature purist design principles.

Two different rectangular pieces of fabric sandwich the body to make a top or dress, a mohair knit in front and a washed silk for the much shorter back. Complexity and ease merge in dresses and trousers with large integrated square shaped shawls that can be worn loose over the shoulder or tied around the neck creating a sophisticated draped top. Graphic effects were created by using different fabrics and colors, and the designers also tried to change the view on their creations, the front and back of some dressed were different in color, fit and fabric.

The colour palette starts with the Klavers van Engelen signature ‘flame’ orange and ends in a solid silver grey. Inspired by Mark Rothko’s great colorfield paintings juxtaposing precious shades such as daffodil, mustard, cerise, grape, loganberry, bordeaux, bronze, a wonderful deep fawn, chocolate, latte and just a touch of black creates a mesmerizing effect.

Again the design-duo made a collection that looked simply beautiful from the outside, as if it was created accidentally. But take a closer look and you’ll see true designs that will keep surprising you by every movement.

Celine Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

Oh, oh, that was another beautiful, simple and sober collection Phoebe Philo created for Celine. Hardly any prints, except a wood-print in brown-tones, but muted colors ranging from black, brown, darkred, yellow, orange, creme and light pink.

It was minimal to the max: long straight coats, two-colored pants, sleeveless tops at pleated skirts and a graphic play with contrasting colors in shirts and turtlenecks. No jewelry, onlu twotoned pointed shoes, two new handbags – that’s it. The only indulging part were the fur-coats and deux-pieces in a soft furry fabric.

Comme des Garcons Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

Looking at the location, the finale of the show and the hair of the models, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons chose gold as the new color. But that conclusion was made after the ‘Hybrid fashion’ she presented: from the front a coat looked like a python trench but from the back it were frilled shorts. Or from one side an outfit looked like a schoolboy jacket and pants and from another perspective it was a silk blouse with a sheer front.
But Kawakubo showed more familiar work too: she  took a trenchcoat, for instance, and shredded and balled it into something. There were the fuzzy circles on jackets, brocades, cutaway jackets, and the asymmetry. There was also a whole passage of dresses ruched and draped from vintage silk scarves that the designer herself has collected over the years.

This was a show to remember, certainly for her fans and everybody who seeks new creativity in fashion.

Jean Paul Gaultier Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

Jean Paul Gaultier likes joking around with fashion a little. And so he did yesterday, by taking La bourgeoise sans age as his muse. You know, those maturing beauties who dress their age but still want to shine a little. And they are sooo French.

Gaultier took the traditional dressing of the upper class – tweeds, tailored trousers, cardigans, blouses, deux pieces, pinstripe – and reworked them. The models came dressed as matrons in gray beehives and kitten heels and were totally covered up, no button was left unbuttoned. There were even turtlenecks worn under long, straight dresses. And during their walk the models liberated themselves from something, a glove, a shoe, a coat. It was fun to watch and the message was clear: mature women look great in Jean Paul Gaultier!

« Previous Page — Next Page »