Paris Fashion Week: At Kenzo, a skate park but no skaters
Kenzo designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon coaxed the fashion crowd to a skateboard park in the 17th arrondissement bright and early Sunday during Paris Fashion Week. But curiously, the collection they sent down the ramps wasn’t worn by skaters and didn’t seem to have much to do with skate clothes, except maybe for the supersized pants. (Baggy jeans, they’re coming back!)
The crowd was filled with fashion groupies — I spotted a woman in a cherry-red circle skirt covered in tiny Mickey Mouse cutouts, and another in a ginormous, jet black Nanook of the North hooded fur jacket, which is apparently how you do a 75-degree day at Paris Fashion Week.
And the scenery was impressive — large-scale screens set up amidst the ramps, animated with female androids repeating the line, “There is no planet B. Protect what’s precious.” Although it wasn’t clear what the conservation message had to do with the proceedings either.
On the runway, there were some cute pieces — romantic dresses in an eyelet that had a graphic grid look; longer-length trumpet skirts in an athletic-foam material worn with airy tops, really baggy jeans and printed palazzo pants; shoe booties. The palette was all sugary pastels — ice blues, peaches and pinks, plus navy and white.
What I didn’t see was a strong point of view. I guess they were leaving it to us to figure out what to wear. Obviously, their Mickey Mouse and Nanook of the North-wearing fans won’t have any trouble.
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