The Shock of the Nouveau
Only here would a die-hard fashion fan risk life and limb for style. Consider this scene after Stella McCartney’s preview of her collection for the house of Chloe.
As hundreds of guests headed downstairs at the Louvre’s Decorative Arts’ Museum hall, a security guard was in hot pursuit of a dreadlocked, camouflage-wearing, fashion-loving guy who crashed the event.
“S-t-e-l-l-l-l-a,” he shrieked at the guard, sounding like Marlon Brando crying out for Kim Hunter in the 1951 flick “A Streetcar Named Desire.” The guard and crasher tussled on the steps, shoving, shouting, grabbing at each other’s clothes and exchanging a few sloppy swings as departing guests watched--some in horror clutching their purses to their chests, others amused. A few ringside-loving fashion mavens shouted out bets on who would win the fight.
“I’ve got 50 francs (about $7.50) on G.I. Joe,” shouted a woman in English in tight jeans, stilettos, a fur vest and a cigarette dangling from her lips. “Shut up and just keep moving,” said her pal. “This could get dangerous.”
Of course, it could, honey. So put those Prada pumps in fast gear or stick around. This is full-throttle fashion--groupies, paparazzi and surprises--the Parisian way. And that also means designers are unafraid to take risks--fearless of experimentation and certainly not scared to flaunt their imagination.
In a week of a frenzy of shows, they used shape and form to create a combination of looks that are at once feminine and masculine; wearable and wacky. Their fabric treatments were intricate and fine, resulting in unusual textures, and an occasional flop in execution. They gave clothes additional flourish with eye-popping color and prints. Even black--which is beaucoup popular on runways here and almost exclusive in several collections--has been infused with vitality and verve through finely contoured silhouettes that draw the eye beyond the lull of the somber shade to a garment’s fine construction and lines that speak to the very essence of style.
Sometimes, though, a logo overload detracted from a designer’s craft. Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel presented a logo-studded collection Thursday. He splashed interlocking Cs on earmuffs, mittens and earrings. In a twist, he scattered CHANEL letters every which way on fabric. But his collection was uptown and chic, with baby-doll dresses adorned with blue, red, yellow, purple and black paillettes. His full, circular coats that he dubbed “the flying Chanels” were plentiful in tweed. Dresses were mostly in sheer black chiffon--ruched, pleated, long, short and shorter--with ribboned bows tied on shoulders. One dress had a paillette-splattered front with a fully pleated and sashed back.
No one puts on a show quite like the madcap guys of French fashion: John Galliano for Christian Dior and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Both produced ebullient and fascinating collections that were all about layering.
At Dior, Galliano sent out a collection that was a trip around the world with cultures colliding on garments from head to toe. Like a puzzle pieced together, a typical outfit consisted of a leather miniskirt over a green sheer tulle dress topped with a green laced corset.
He showed psychedelic printed maps on plastic coats and ponchos, graffiti popped on low-waisted pants and jumpsuits that were accessorized with hip-hop rapper gear such as purses that were shaped like boomboxes. Smiley face T-shirts, a la 1970s and others that screamed “J’adore Dior” seemed perfect for all-night rave parties when teamed with knitted, pointy ski caps, leggings, see-through lace dresses and miniskirts with Japanation prints. Lush mink coats embroidered with flowers were topped off with oversized knitted hats covered by a veil.
Gaultier, who showed his creations at the Carrousel de Louvre, offered deconstructed jackets over lace tops worn with miniskirts over longer chiffon skirts over trousers: clothes for the woman who can’t seem to make up her mind or wants to have it all. “I just want for women to have clothes with the freedom to take off whatever they want and still have on whatever they want. It’s all about freedom,” Gaultier said backstage as fans clamored for his attention. For the Gaultier woman, that also means wearing clothing with removable parts: a jacket, for example, with sleeves attached with clips.
Tom Ford’s second collection for Yves Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line was sexy with off-the-shoulder peasant tops, shirred long skirts--some styled after those worn by flamenco dancers--short in front, long on back and frilly. Stretch knit tops and column dresses wrapped beautifully around bodies. Prettiest of all were his princess coats, superbly fitted at the bodice and floor-length like a ball gown. Enjoying the show at the Rodin Museum were actress Isabelle Adjani and Alexander McQueen, who recently sold a majority interest in his own label to the Gucci Group.
Before the crasher incident at McCartney’s show, a celebrity-studded crowd that included her father, Paul, actresses Liv Tyler and Debi Mazar and rocker Chrissie Hynde packed in to view her Chloe collection. True to the animal-loving McCartney clan, the British designer shunned real fur, offering instead plenty of fake fur coats. She decorated some coats, tops and pretty asymmetrical dresses and minis with a treasure trove of faux pearls and dangling necklaces. Metal bats and frogs graced the backs of coats and the fronts of tops and bustiers and wide hip-slung belts. Her best ideas were the wavy sea-grass appliques on knee-length dresses and long coats.
Michael Kors presented a nautical collection for Celine’s inside a tent across from the Eiffel Tower. With muses Katharine Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich and his “it girl” of the moment, Chloe Sevigny, Kors didn’t disappoint with a classic collection full of wearable cropped cranberry pants, double-faced pea coats, shrugs of soft cashmere, black leather trenches and lots of coyote fur in various lengths that looked wonderful over silk slip evening gowns. He said after the show that his collection was about “strong, sexy women.”
Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton knows how to do black. With a collection that was mostly filled with it, you forget there’s so much of the somber color parading on the runway because of his fine tailoring. His collection, presented in the glass-walled greenhouse at Parc Andre Citroen, was an improvement over last season’s show that was heavily sports inspired. It was elegant and ladylike, reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy’s 1960s look, minus the pillbox hat. His suits were topped with snug jackets with short sleeves and worn with bell-shaped skirts adorned with mink pompoms. Most of his dresses and pretty princess coats were empire waisted.
Yohji Yamamoto, a master of design, demonstrated his brilliance with a sports-inspired collection featuring the Adidas triple-play of white stripes. The Japanese designer even included a tennis shoe line created in collaboration with the sportswear giant. But the sneakers, including one that is a boxing boot, were clearly Yamamoto’s. Who else would put kimono prints on them or bright orange soles?
His mostly gray, navy and black collection, shown at the Grande Halle de la Villette, a converted former slaughterhouse, fused high-tech fabrics such as neoprene with his knack for grand proportion and intricate construction. His clothes served double duty: skirts that cleverly had pants sewn into them tricked the eye, as did sweaters with big necklines that curled around the neck.
Valentino, who always sends out a glamorous collection, played down the allure of that look but with clothes that were still beautiful. Overall, his designs were less dainty, with large buttons on jackets for his country daytime look of suits, skirts and sweaters in tones of olive, green and burnt orange and in tweeds, plaids, lightweight boucles and knits. His evening color palette was mostly black and ivory and only a single gown in Valentino red, a bias-cut backless number with a pinched waist and fluttering ostrich feathers.
Dries Van Noten’s collection was lovely with sherbet colored chiffon knee-length dresses, 1960s style and sparingly printed with a small burst of flowers. His wool coats came with a sewn in scarf over one shoulder. Josephus Thimister offered lots of leather and military inspired skirts and trousers that were worn with mink capes and belted suede coats.
At Comme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo’s homage to lingerie was a bit wacky and absurd--what sane woman would wear a comically oversized bra--make that pouches big enough to lug groceries in--on the outside of her clothes? But a closer look revealed pretty lace trimmed dresses with teensy straps and tailored jackets.
Issey Miyake’s collection by Naoki Takizawa burst on the runway with color and extraordinary fabrics. Horizontally crimped fabric appeared like rows and rows of three-dimensional triangular pleats that looked like origami art on loose-fitting, boxy dresses, skirts and sweaters--a look that may not sell well because of it’s oddness. Nonetheless the results were splendid and handsome result as Takizawa explored something new and different.
The beauty--and craziness--of the collections shown so far have made slogging through six days of wretched rain and sitting in horrific traffic jams to get across town indeed worthwhile. Paris may be the last stop of international shows, but it always manages to lead the pack.
