Rue du Mail Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2012

It was a sporty chic collection, Martine Sitbon presented yesterday, designed for a somewhat ‘androgynous woman with a strong attitude,’ as she told the press.

The sportive part of the show was visible through the use of color (lots of different colored sleeves), the silhouettes (baseball jacket shapes), the materials (jerseys and knits) and the details (lots of zippers). Chic were the black & white knits, the macramé lace, the laser-cut bouclé and the silk bright colored dresses that closed the show.

There were some tricky parts of the collection though. The cutouts can easily become very tacky and the same goes for the red watercolor print. Just as long as the Rue du Mail women keep their looks on the sporty side, they have nothing to worry about. Even better, next fall they’ll be all the rage.

Rue du Mail Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2012

A beautiful, soft, subtle handcrafted collection, that’s what Martine Sitbon showed us today. With every look presented on the catwalk you could see a lot of effort was put into it. Embroidery detailing, stitched patterns, beautiful pleats and watercolored prints made the collection unique and precious.

The silhouette was a mix of tight over the knee pencil skirts and loose-fitting, night gown-y dresses.  Colors changed from black and white to cobalt blue, yellow, rust and rose. The styles were a mix of Morocco (caftan) and China (watercolored prints) and presumably even more influences Sitbon discovered on her trips abroad.

Daily favorites in Paris

Every day there is a short list of favorites I’ve seen at the shows. Yesterday the collection of Dries really stood out because of his extra-ordinairy and casual mix of masculine and feminine looks, especially the oversized jackets I loved.

I was also struck by the hair and make up at Limi Feu, the big wide curly hair, one eye hidden and the other made up with black eyeliner and a thick layer of mascara. An the soundtrack was great too, classical music mixed with phrases sung by Billy Holiday.

The day ended with Rue du Mail by Martine Sitbon. The designer played with sheer, colored layers over black or cream dresses. My favorite is the blue dress with visible seams and pleats. The layering look very dynamic and modern.

Rue du Mail (by Martine Sitbon) Catwalk Fashion Show FW09

Rue du Mail (by Martine Sitbon) Catwalk Fashion Show SS09

Rue du Mail (by Martine Sitbon) Catwalk Fashion Show FW08