Miu Miu Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

The Miu Miu show opened with a confusing series of clothes that reminded of schooluniforms, drabby colors, basis skirts and shirts. Was this the same Miucca Prada who’d sent out this strong, and happy collection two weeks ago in Milan? But it was part of the show, which build the collection slowly, piece by piece, fabric by fabric, color by color.

The schooluniform was the basis (A-line silhouette, simple shirts), color, lace, frivolous accessories added along the way more festivity to the clothes. Like Cinderella getting ready for the ball.

Louis Vuitton’s Fashion Fairytale

Chanel Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

It was a poetic Chanel-show. Especially after the dark, gloomy autumn show half a year ago. Is Karl Lagerfeld looking at the bright side of life again? His imaginary underwater world surely made the audience forget there is a serious financial crisis going on in the real world.

Lagerfeld changed the typical commercial and somewhat safe Chanel-look into a sporty one, with silver shoes, conch-shaped heels, a stripped Chanel-suit where the chains were replaced by pearls and he introduced modern fabrics, like the transparent plastic jacket over a swimsuit. For evening there we light lacy and mesh dresses. It was amazing what he did with his element of inspiration, the pearl – one of the Chanel-icons. Not only the colors, also the way fabrics looked, the accessories, the make up.

Florence Welch was the guest-performer, hidden in a gigantic shell where she sang her siren-song. Mysterious and magical.

Streetfashion Paris Womenswear ss2012 Day 6

What are you wearing during this fashionweek? Your Gucci-shoes, your latest Celine-dress or that vintage Givenchy? 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 ss2012

That was a light-hearted and feminine first Chloe-collection of Clare Waight Keller. The British designer just came from Pringle of Scotland and made a big change crossing the Channel.

She said to the press she wanted ‘a sense of ease and femininity’ in her collection, and she succeeded. She even used elements Karl Lagerfeld introduced during his time at Chloe, not only the prints but also embroideries. Keller took the flower-prints and put them at the sides of white pants and shorts or all over a white blouse.

Pleats, a major trend in the European collections, were a key element and gave the collection an appealing attitude. The show opened with  long, flowing dresses, where the over-dyed pleats looked like sunrays. There were boyish elements too, like wide shorts and trousers, and sheer dresses shaped like dungarees and worn over a tunic.

First View Paris ss2012: Couture Spirit

The clear read line through Paris catwalk shows is a couture spirit reminiscent of the fifties and sixties. One designer more then the other found ways to translate this precious era in a contemporary and new look. Finding a shared challenge in the search for new proportions yet clearly inspired by the rounded full shaping of that era. Materials where traditional and precious, yet some realised that typical sculptural aspect in novel manmade yet ever so luxurious fabrics. A, I and egg shaped, reduced and iconic, minimal use of details and executed in mostly black and white.

Going back to the archives was what most designers did. Céline created a masterful understated and reduced version and managed to shape couture within a desirable ‘Philo’ mould. Dries van Noten offered grand couture looks in pouf dresses and skirts, finding a way to update by combining these with print and sturdy biker jackets. Rick Owens shifts in all its striking understatement between pillar and egg. Where Balenciaga made the most modern translation by truly redefining couture’s contours. He turned urban wear into couture, so took another road to come to richness by giving city wear the haute treatment. Rochas, how else could it be, took it factual and dived fully into archives using silk duchesse and organza to show the full flavour and grandeur of the couture legacy.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

Streetfashion Paris Womenswear ss2012 Day 5

What are you wearing during this fashionweek? Your Gucci-shoes, your latest Celine-dress or that vintage Givenchy? 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.

Céline Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

You can’t avoid Céline these days in Paris. Not in the streets, not in the shops – the new minimalism Phoebe Philo preaches inspired lots of people and made women reconsider their garderobe and make new choices. The collection she sent out this morning pushed the boundaries of simply elegant again. This time Phoebe Philo added a touch of militarism and workwear to the clothes.

The grid was formed by wide pants -ankle-height -, pleated skirts, battledresses and longer jackets with large pockets both tied wit a big belt and dresses that reminded of a nurse in gone-by times. The collection breathed moderism in every stitch but had an invisible Forties touch. White was the main color, followed by brown and dark green, one part had flashes of red.

There were Philo’s signature leather structured tops, sweaters, T-shirts and tunics with a longer length at the back. They added a feminine touch to the straight pants and mixed very well with the pleated skirts. Balck suede shoes had high platforms – sometimes in contrasting color -, round toes and big straps.

 

Comme des Garcons Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

In a season with an overload of prints and color  Rei Kawakubo decided to go with pure white. “White drama” was her description of her spring collection, which opened with an ivory satin long-sleeved dress, straight at front and a full bouffant skirt in the back. The model, veiled and with a high white headpiece had her hands folded in front and tied together at the wrists with a big bow.

The rest of the show all dresses were white and all models looked like prisoners in skirts like padded cages and capes done in grand couture shapes but no armholes. Some dresses were tight and completely restrictive. This was a true Kawakubo-collection: provocative, beautiful and sometimes shocking.

Streetfashion Paris Womenswear ss2012 Day 4

What are you wearing during this fashionweek? Your Gucci-shoes, your latest Celine-dress or that vintage Givenchy? 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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