Christian Dior Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

The Dior spring summer 2011 collection was inspired by sailors, the fourties and pin-up girl Bettie Page. The result was colorful, feminine, light and a lovely mix of sailor and elegance.John  Galliano made up the story of an imaginary Polynesian naval base where the sailors could kill their time by looking at Bettie-Page look-a-likes.

The British designer mixed the sexy 40’s pin-up clothes with Polynesian colors and flowers plus sailorstyle. A windbreaker never looked so sexy and elegant.  There were sailorpants in white and khaki, navy shirts and casual jackets and parkas. The more feminine touch came from short dresses in tropical colors and prints plus Hawaian necklaces with flowers .

Issey Miyake Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

Issey Miyake presented a collection with special effects in the clothes: black and white checks that bled at the end, digital prints of raffia that dissolevd into a blur.

Daily favorites in Paris

It was a busy day yesterday, and a good day. Inspiring collections from Balenciaga and Rick Owens, while Ann Demeulemeester and AF vandeVorst choose their own path. My favorites of thursday were the return of models like Stella Tennant at the runway of Balenciaga. I love it when designers decide not to go for the blond Caucasian girls who all seem to look alike but to choose different types instead. And Tennant looked great.

Manish Aurora is a designer that fascinates me. He just does his own thing and keeps on presenting collections that make you happy and smile. I mean, I don’t think I will even wear one of his designs but I love the way he brings that Indian vibe – messy, colorful, over the top, ethnic – to the fashioncapital of the world with all his o so serious looking fashionpeople.

I think the vandeVorst-show was about feminine knights regarding the silver armor-wear and the banner that one of the models carried during the show. The designduo likes to dress strong women who protect themselves with an ultra feminine yet tough style. I personally liked the drapes dress in gray with a wet finish, underneath the dress was a silver body.

And the show of Rick Owens was the best of the day in my opinion. His dark shows alway gives me shivers, but yesterday his show made my heart jump. The women looked like goddesses from another planet, so gracious and proud.

Streetfashion Paris Womenswear SS2011 Day 2

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Louboutin-heels, your latest Dries van Noten-jacket or that vintage Prada? 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.

Streetfashion Paris Womenswear SS2011 Day 1

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Louboutin-heels, your latest Dries van Noten-jacket or that vintage Prada? 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.

Rick Owens Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

Rick Owens presented a beautiful, almost intergalactical royal collection. The models looked as if they were goddesses from another world. No gothic darkness, but majestic beauties crowned with a hair comb in almost classic silhouettes in white, gray, brown and green.

Skirts were extreme, in volume or length, pearly toned jackets or cut away tops armored the upperbody. The architecture of cut, shape and form gave clarity to clothes, even when there were layers.

Balmain Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

At Balmain Christophe Decarnin continues to mix rock, punk and glam into a sexy collection. Safetypins, studs, torn and bleached jeans, scratched leather and faded prints seemed to be the key-elements – and a huge inspiration for rip-of collections to come.

Decarnin told the press he’s a punk fan, and that his office is full of Sex Pistols-pictures.  So he sent out his punk-princesses dressed in faded stars-and-stripes tanktops, acid bleached jeans and biker-jackets with studs and safetypins all over. And not to mention the micro-shorts and mini’s.

It all lookd young, raw and energetic – but to make punk a high end fashion-trend again is a bit too easy. First: the street does it better and more authentic, second stores like H&M and Berschka already sell stuff like this and third who’s going to pay a few thousand euro for an old bikerjacket while you can do it yourself ? We’ll see.

Zac Posen Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

It was the first time Zac Posen presented his collection during Paris Fashion Week. It looks he brought American glamour to France. But is also looked as if he thinks women have nothing better to do than going to cocktails and parties – besides a few daytime-clothes his collection was all about eveningwear.

There was no visible fashion direction at all, not the minimalist nor the 70’s glamour or color. Instead he throwed in black lace, feathers and fur for his showgirl boudoir-theme. Most of the time it was over the top, but there were some beauties like black ombre silk gown with feathers on each shoulder. We definitely will see that one back at the red carpet.

Balenciaga Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

Again, Nicolas Ghesquiere suprised us with a very streetwise-collection, this time with influences from the punk-era. By the choice of his models Ghesquiere already explained the theme of his show: to express identity and individuality. Besides 6 supermodels – like Stella Tennant, Carolyn Murphy and Gisele Bundchen – he also casted 6 girls at the streets of Amsterdam, Belgium and Copenhagen.

The look was streetwear infused with a bit of London punk and retro teddy boys. Every garment was treated, coated, lacquered and manipulated by hand. For example: some leathers were embroidered with PVC to make it look fake and knits were coated with brushed silk. He also mixed couture techniques with modern edge laser cutting.

The collection was dominated by thick, molded leathers lacquered with big houndstooth patterns in red, black, white and blue. More or less feminine were the draped dresses and sleeveles shirts with neon lace inserts. The overall look was boyish, and it was the designers purpose to react to ‘a certain kind of sexiness’ as he told the press.

Gareth Pugh Video Fashion Paris SS2011

For now the British designer Gareth Pugh sticks with video to present his collection. Not that it’s cheaper or saves time, but it makes him show and express his collection in the way he wants it.

Every now and then a designer is experimenting with video. Those clips are great to watch, but it somehow leaves you unsatisfied. It’s the tension in the room, the music, the smell of clothes and  everything that gets together during a show that creates that special vibe. But anyway, Pugh made a wonderful 11 minutes videoclip starring Kirsten McMenamy. Filmmaker Ruth Hogben was responsible for the short movie and in an interview with the International Herald Tribune she said: “I was completely led by Gareth’s designs. I try to make a representation of every piece of fabric, every shape and sculpture. I am trying to convey Gareth’s world. I play with scale, physically some parts are quite claustrophobic. There is a lot of freedom, depth and space — a vast, endless infinity of the world.”

Nick Knight, who will present the video at www.SHOWstudio.com, is a great instignator of fashion on film. In the IHT he explained why: “Firstly, it is a true artistic expression that the designers can control,” he said. “Secondly they can get so many more people, from 300 to three million. And because — although it hasn’t happened yet — designers will want to sell their clothes.”

The collection is built around modular jackets, rubberized neoprene, stretch silk jersey and high-tech effects of geometric silicone pattern and digitally printed clothes. It is possible to order the garments directly while watching the video online.

(Pictures: Gareth Pugh Lookbook)

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