The week-long extravaganza that was Paris Fashion Week was all about dramatic runways, interesting debuts and the the exit of Christophe Lemaire, who presented his last show for Hermes. This season had as many memorable moments as collections presented.
Here’s our take on the best presentations this year:
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Hermes
Wrapping up his four-year journey at Hermes was Christophe Lemaire, who will soon be replaced by Nadege Vanhee–Cybulski. His final collection for the brand featured a palette of white, sand, camel and blue. Loose silhouettes, interesting shawl collars and middies were the highlights of the collection.
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Miu Miu
Inspired by Prada’s all-season looks, Miu Miu’s collection for Spring/Summer 2015 was a party-friendly adaptation of the mother brand’s basic styles. Presented under grand catherdal-like arches, the collection included frill tops, plaid prints and shimmery skirts.
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Louis Vuitton
The brand presented its collection on a rather stark stage; shown at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the show began with a video of huge talking heads. ‘Sci-fi’ lights beamed down, and with Sounds of Silence playing in the background, models strutted their way on the ramp in 70s-inspired looks. Woven fabrics, bold coloured stripes and art-inspired prints dominated. The show commenced with A-line short dresses, moved on to cropped pants paired with chic jackets and closed with a dash of shimmer on the leather, and velvet.
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Alexander McQueen
Inspired by the royal kimonos of Japan, the collection, complete with lantern sleeves and cutwork patterns, bloomed because of a bright colour palette and large floral graphics. Wearing dramatic lacquered masks and high ponytails, the models sashayed across the ramp carrying hand-painted box clutches. We loved the petal gowns that gave the feel of an inverted floral bouquet and the sword-slit sleeves and tops that looked like they had been pulled out of a samurai’s wardrobe.
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Valentino
Using 18th century art and culture as a point of reference, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri presented a romantic collection for Valentino. Known for their perfect hemlines, shorts dresses, pinafore gowns and jackets, the two used classic Italian architecture references in a collection was much livelier than expected. The line that started with basic monochromes was followed by a floral kaleidoscope of scarf-printed dresses and gowns, sheer middies, lace work skirts and tops, finally ending with star fish and sea weed printed gowns.
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Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld’s models took to the streets of ‘Paris’, strolling and chatting as if they were out and about on just another Saturday. The halls of the Grand Palais were made to look like the street across Boulevard Chanel, while models sported Lagerfeld’s tweed styles, paired with flashy scarves, tops, skirts and jackets. Plaids, khaki, sequins, feather and plastic were some other elements used. In fact, Lagerfeld’s street style-inspiration was the talk of fashion town after the show. Also, much-mentioned was the mock protest, led by Cara Delevingne and others, who walked around with placards baring slogans like, “Be your own stylist”, “Tweed is better than tweet” and other such messages.
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Saint Laurent
There was nothing new in terms of silhouettes or colour, but the collection stayed true to the brand’s DNA. Models dodged in between illuminated steel bars, walking to live music and presented an array of edgy styles which got shorter and shorter with every model who passed by. There were lots of dresses – cherry-printed and off shoulder; floral and star printed – all paired with cropped leather jackets in camouflage, stripes, suede and fur. Those jackets were the only thing that differentiated the new collection from those from YSL’s archives.
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Elie Saab
Bringing a tropical feel to PFW, Elie Saab showcased plunging necklines and lace gowns, which were key elements of his collection. Bold borders dissected outfits, and lacy tops, pants and gowns were followed by a line of single-tone asymmetrical silhouettes. The draped capes, however, were the interesting.
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Stella McCartney
Effortlessly stylish and perfect for any body type, McCartney’s clothes were perfectly loose-fitting. While denims dominated the collection, the silky trench coats were what caught our attention. The colour palette was neutral – blue, camel and white – and the otherwise laid-back line was jazzed up with interesting huge buckles and neckpieces.
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Givenchy
Redefining romance with his edginess was Ricardo Tisci, whose sheer black lacy skirts and bodice dresses were elegantly provocative. Lace was paired with leather, necklines were corseted and bejewelled, and gladiator skirts also made an appearance.
The mostly black and white collection was brightened with a subtle patchwork of pink, blue and green.
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Chloe
Paying homage to the late Gaby Aghion (founding designer of Chloe), Clare Wight Keller threw light on the bolder side of bohemia with her camisole strap gowns, dresses with breezy blouses, extended kaftans, denim jumpsuits and skirts.
With heavy crochet patterns stitched on buttery fabrics and ponchos, the collection showcased a sexy softness.
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Christian Dior
This collection meshed the old with the new; no two outfits looked the same, but rather, kept raising expectations as each model walked by. Balloon skirts, long jacket dresses, mid-length pants with lace, Edwardian collars, were all updated to fit in with the modern silhouettes of razorback vest tops, school girl skirts and skater styles. The collection, though dominated by white, popped with colour as each outfit bore a dash of bold colour from pink to sunshine yellow there.
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Lanvin
Alber Elbaz was in the mood to party while he designed these cocktail gowns and dresses, creating a collection that celebrates the label’s 125th anniversary. Using his trademark lace, pearl and embellished prints, Elbaz presented Grecian gown and dresses. Apt for evening soirees, the clothes in navy, mustard, beige, white and burnt-orange looked red carpet ready.
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Nina Ricci
Keeping it formal and understated, the colour blocked range began with monochrome outfits, totally doing away with the brand’s previous frothy, fluffy styling. The uptown styles and subtle colour palette of ice cream pink, mustard, scarlet, beige, camel and blue, made for a sophisticated collection.
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Manish Arora
The master of quirky styling was at his best this season, presenting 3D floral skirts and tops and embellished jackets and pants. But it was the Indian deity graphic printed outfits that made us sit up and go, ‘wow!’. We saw the the third eye of Lord Shiva and the faces of Durga and Lord Krishna on sheer dresses, tunics and gowns, which made for a refreshing change compared to his otherwise larger-than-life design interpretations.