Fashion 88 : Valentino, Ungaro Follow Their Own Line
Two irrepressible individuals, Emanuel Ungaro and Valentino Garavani, refused to change their style to suit the times. Serious clothes are not what earns these two their daily caviar. They specialize in glamour, and they are smart enough not to mess with their success.
When the lights came up on Ungaro’s fall collection Tuesday morning, the audience got its first look at his autumn color scheme, which might be just as suitable for spring. Lavender, grass green or cantaloupe was plaided onto backgrounds of coats so lightweight they looked airborne over shapely suits with elongated pastel plaid jackets and solid pastel knee-length skirts. Three-quarter length coats in a pastel paisley pattern were shaped like smocks to billow over short slim skirts.
The smock dress, which falls free from shoulder to hem, is showing up all over town this season. Ungaro’s versions were just above the knee, in dark floral challis prints or black-and-white checks, some with burgundy velvet shoulders and high Victorian collars to match. Ungaro’s pants come in two versions: wide and narrow. The narrow style has bows at the hip.
The designer’s signature draped dresses showed up in knee-length black jersey for late day, and in a variety of extraordinary luminescent pale silk lames for formal events. These looked wildly glamorous in strapless, figure-molding styles which often ended in a bustle of fabric flowers at the rear and a bias-cut swirl of fabric from there to the ankles. The show was so upbeat that the audience ended up singing along with the music at the finale.
Valentino’s colors were a bit more subdued, with solid brown, black-and-white checks or tawny tweeds making a statement along with pale blue, lilac and mint green. Here too the accent was on feminine shaping with almost all of his body-conscious dresses and suits ending at the knee. Heather pastel plaid suits had fitted jackets, slim skirts and glamorous lightweight capes. Pastel knit dresses, impeccably carved to follow the figure, were completely outlined in rope of the same fabric and shade. Gray trousers were topped with pastel plaid jackets.
Valentino’s specialty is the finishing touch. Some of his suit jackets were detailed in back with insets of flat pleats resembling peplums. His suede jackets, in pale chevron stripes topped slim leather skirts and soft shawls wrapped the hips of narrow suits with short jackets. For evening, he offered black satin, black velvet and black lace as well as pink, green or white satin jackets over black, wide leg pants with a bit of beading at the ankles.
Karl Lagerfeld did change his style for Chanel this time around, with some inspired results. Instead of the bubbly short look, he has dropped many of his hemlines, elongated his jackets and come up with classics that have a contemporary twist. His navy blazer, for example, has four gold buttons at the fitted waist and gold buttons on slat pockets at the hip where the jacket bells out gently above a mid-calf length pleated skirt. It is the adult version of a schoolgirl’s uniform with a high-neck crisp white blouse.
Lagerfeld’s slim black-velvet dresses are embroidered with pink edelweiss. He uses more black velvet for beautifully shaped jackets above green or red gathered skirts. When the jackets are plaid, the skirts are black velvet and are offered in mid-calf or knee-length styles.
It’s the year of the grape here in Paris, where almost every collection includes the color purple. Sonia Rykiel was no exception, as she trotted out her easy-to-wear signature knits in grape as well as red, yellow and green. But the prettiest group of all was pearl gray. Suit jackets were smocks, side-wraps or long and fitted. They topped very short skirts or bias cut pants. Rykiel’s black evening capes were lined in hot pink or red satin over short black crepe dresses, and there were dresses with black lace bodices and black crepe skirts. Rykiel’s fun accessories included black pumps with red or green heels and a purse on wheels, which the models tugged along on a leash.
