FASHION : A Show of Fun, Lots of Ho-Hum
As usual, some of the best- known names here--Emanuel Ungaro and Yves Saint Laurent among them--showed their collections at the end of spring fashion week. But London designer Vivienne Westwood provided the most fun when she brought her show to town Tuesday night.
She borrowed the studio of her friend Azzedine Alaia, who shows his collection months after the other Paris designers, and invited her transvestite friends to join the model lineup.
Yes, she’s outrageous, even scandalous. She’s also wonderfully creative, and this season, for the second time in a row, she has carried off the top award of British fashion designer of the year.
Things got off to a slow start at Westwood. The show was to begin at 9 p.m., but Romeo Gigli arrived well after 10, and even he had to wait.
Gigli wasn’t the only fashion star in the audience. Rosita Missoni, based in Milan (as is Gigli), turned up, along with Hanae Mori, the Tokyo-Paris commuter. Alaia, dressed in one of his typical priest-like black frocks, watched everything from the balcony of his high-ceilinged space.
Well before show time, a troop of Westwood’s transvestite chums scurried in. The men--wearing bustiers and spike-heeled shoes, with blond wigs, feathers and lots of eye makeup--kept the photographers busy for some time.
Westwood’s collection had more whimsy, elegance and inventiveness than most seen here.
Highlights included a short red gingham smock embossed with gold and green heraldic figures. She topped it with a coat shaped like an artist’s smock, this one in deep red velvet. A black tulle dress embroidered with tiny black figures was a standout for evening. Long and sheer, it went over a white swimsuit/bodysuit.
Westwood’s collection would be enough to challenge anyone’s creative energies. And her clothing showed up the overly tame collections that closed the week.
Three world-class names showed their collections Tuesday and Wednesday. Of these, the best was by Yves Saint Laurent--and that is saying something.
Saint Laurent has played hit or miss for the past several years, showing collections that were repetitive, and one season, incomplete. And he didn’t break into new territory for the coming spring. It was more that his signature style seemed in touch with the times. Fashion is flailing right now, and Saint Laurent’s perfectly proportioned classics looked better than usual.
A nautical navy-blue pantsuit, with narrow pants and double-breasted jacket, was sporty and rich. A white cotton suit of fitted, vest-style blouse and short, narrow skirt looked crisp and elegant. Bright-red damask jeans and a cropped swing jacket had spirit and style. One could do worse than invest in Saint Laurent this season.
While the atmosphere here has been one of experimentation--even confusion--Emanuel Ungaro played it safe. Maybe too safe.
Polka-dotted leggings and tunics looked all but identical to some in his last collection. He did his usual print mix for dress and jacket combinations as well as for three-piece suits. Florals and dots, abstracts and checks collided, and most of them were in the trendy bold colors of a year ago. It was as if Ungaro hadn’t stopped to rethink his options.
He was very clear about one thing: Skirts remained short unless they were floor-sweepers meant for summer weekends or casual evenings. These peasant-style dresses with wide-belted waists and beautifully cut circle skirts were some of the best long looks in Paris.
Oscar de la Renta was back in town for a second season, and the New York-based designer drew a bigger crowd than last time.
He dedicated his collection to his native country, the Dominican Republic, because 1992 marks its 500th birthday. His white linen shifts and short coats, his cropped narrow pants and big tops, looked fresh and crisp teamed with plantation straw hats.
Sun dresses in tropical marigold and green had ankle-length skirts and woven brown leather belts. He slit the skirts to mid-thigh at the side for a sleek casual look.
Things went off track with some plantation wear. One dress with a golden pineapple puckered skirt and a green pineapple-leaf bodice had the usually cool model Naomi Campbell giggling as she came down the runway.
And a group of evening jackets beaded with exotic birds, including a three-dimensional bird on each shoulder, took the theme too far.
“It’s a time not to try too hard,” said Joan Kaner, Neiman Marcus vice president, after a few too many over-the-top performances.
“Business has been less than wonderful for everybody. At this point we’re less interested in being entertained, more wanting to see clothes we can relate to.”
A woman wondering what to make of this might find it interesting to hear what the pros have to say. All week, people mentioned the lines outside the Hermes boutique here. Not even pouring rain and 40-degree temperatures seemed to deter the crowds. These shoppers were not necessarily looking for clothes; they wanted purses, scarves and shoes.
Suzanne McMillan, a senior vice president for Saks Fifth Avenue, ran over to the store between shows to buy a pair of black suede Hermes shoes. “I think Hermes is the Paris fashion status item.”
Anyone willing to spend top dollar wants to be sure that it’s a long-term investment.
