Once again, fur was a major theme, as seen here at Chanel
Photo by Anthea Simms
For his namesake line, Karl Lagerfeld, like many other designers, favoured leather looks
Photo by Anthea Simms
Camel was colour of choice, often shown head-to-toe like here at Chloé
Photo by Anthea Simms
Retro was a hit theme on several runways, including Louis Vuitton and Rochas (pictured here)
Photo by Anthea Simms
Clean, modern dressing, like this look from Stella McCartney, kept the collections feeling fresh
Photo by Anthea Simms
Menswear crept in through boxy, oversized coats, as seen here at Dries van Noten
Photo by Anthea Simms
Lace joined leather as a favoured material, as seen here at Elie Saab
Photo by Anthea Simms
Cargo pants, like this pair from Sonia Rykiel, and peacoats in green and navy brought a military feel
Photo by Anthea Simms
Pretty shoes with embellishment, like these oversized bows at Louis Vuitton, took stride on the catwalk
Photo by Anthea Simms
Top handled, lady-like bags accented a number of looks, as seen here at Valentino
Photo by Anthea Simms
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Elizabeth Cabral
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Thu 11 Mar 2010 13:52 PM
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#1 FUR
As an accent or a full jacket, bag—even pants. Real or faux, fur was the favoured texture.
#2 LEATHER
Wear it head-to-toe, in different layers, or in unexpected pieces like tops and full pleated skirts.
#3 CAMEL
All camel monochromatic looks were modern and fresh. If you can't invest in more than one piece, go with the must-have camel coat.
#4 RETRO
From 50's dirndl skirts and shrunken sweaters to 60's femme fatale looks, many runways were filled with blasts from the past.
#5 CLEAN DRESSING
The modern look is all about graphic lines, simple silhouettes, and no fuss separates—all very Phoebe Philo-inspired.
#6 MENSWEAR
This influence snuck in through oversized, boxy jackets and coats, often in neutral shades like grey.
#7 LACE
From feminine ruffled dresses to graphic t-shirt shapes, lace was a popular material.
#8 MILITARY
Cargo pants, patch pocket jackets and peacoats in shades of army green or navy brought a military feel to the runway.
#9 NOVELTY SHOES
This season's footwear was embellished with bows and brocades, and bright in colour.
#10 THE HANDBAG
Top handled, lady-like bags in modest sizes suited the retro-themed catwalks beautifully.
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Elizabeth Cabral
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Thu 11 Mar 2010 10:25 AM
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While the official show schedule was over yesterday, I had the privilege to stop in at the Alexander McQueen showroom to view his final collection up close.
While only sixteen looks were officially shown at Tuesday's presentation, there were a number of other dramatic pieces that hadn't been shown, as well as commercial samples—some of which were just as beautiful as the collection looks.
McQueen's vision and talent was unmatched and seeing this breathtaking work up close only made me sad knowing that this was the last collection designed by the genius himself.
A favourite piece was a gold painted feather covered jacket paired with a heavenly tulle skirt. Religious tapestries were used for a variety of dresses from short to long and ethereal looking gold beading and embroidery decorated many of the pieces. While on the other spectrum, macabre dragons, skulls and crossbones made their way onto black leather jackets and pants.
There even w
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Elizabeth Cabral
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Thu 11 Mar 2010 10:11 AM
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It's the last day of Paris Fashion Week and while I'm exhausted, I'm also inspired and excited about the season to come.
I started off at Elie Saab, a great red carpet designer. In his show notes he referred to a mysterious woman and this was reflected in the dark, gothic lace he showed. While most of the show was black, there was a finale of densely sequined/beaded glittering dresses that looked like something of another galaxy. The accessories were also a lot edgier for this eveningwear label with leather covered spiked bags, fingerless patent gloves, and fierce shoes.
I zipped down to the Marais to have a look at Canadian-raised, Paris-based designer Calla Hayes' sophomore collection. While it was tiny, it was beautiful with a lot of strong pieces and very focused ideas. Her signature custom prints decorated body con dresses and authentic Ikat fabrics made for some cool blazers. My favourite piece was a body con dress with a removable tiered ruffle skirt. Two-i
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Elizabeth Cabral
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Wed 10 Mar 2010 11:18 AM
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Nothing like starting your day off at a Chanel show!
The
polar bear on the invitation was a good indication of what to expect:
With a giant snow covered ice sculpture resembling an ice floe
(imported from Sweden no less), Karl Lagerfeld debuted a collection
featuring tons of, gasp....faux fur! Pants, floor length coats,
thigh-high boots, all in seemingly real faux fur—ven fur hot pants for
the most daring client. But there were also classic Chanel tweeds and
knits styled into tundra chic ensembles. Lagerfeld said the show was a
commentary on global warming so the ground was covered in water,
illustrating the melting ice, and models wore plastic shoe covers to
protect their gorgeous Chanel boots.
After a few rough years
since Pheobe Philo's departure, the Chloé label finally seems to be
putting itself back on the map of It-girl's everywhere. At Chloé,
Hannah MacGibbon picked up where she left off last fall with a
collection of camel, 70's sportswe
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Elizabeth Cabral
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Tue 9 Mar 2010 10:18 AM
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We're nearing the home stretch at PFW but before it's over there are still a few favourites to see.
One of them - Stella McCartney - showed her collection and the Grand Palais de Opera today. This is where she first showed when taking over at Chloé. Waiting for the show, I spotted her three adorable kids running around near backstage and her father, Sir Paul taking his seat. It's a family affair!
The clothes are immaculate and simple. Clean lines in jackets and short dresses with squared back trains, and sequined dresses with sheer overlays. Refreshing to see a simple, sexy slingback after all these seasons of over-the-top shoes.
I ran over to the legendary Hotel Crillon for a quick appointment to view the Tom Binns jewelry line. OMG, I shared an elevator ride with Mario Testino - one of my favourite photographers. Binns' collection is gorgeous as usual, newsworthy pieces were a collection of futuristically shaped bronze metal pieces and a series
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Elizabeth Cabral
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Mon 8 Mar 2010 12:27 PM
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It's been bitterly cold in Paris—ironic since it was a balmy 10 degrees at home. But Karl Lagerfeld was reason enough to get fickle fashion types out on a Sunday morning. At his own collection, Lagerfeld showed lacquered pencil skirts and leggings paired with sharp black jackets. A collection of great jackets and pants with his signature LBDs. The hair was teased in to crazy beehives with patent headbands. Bright red laps were the only colour at this all black show. And Erin Wasson walked the runway (she's been doing a few shows this season).
A quick stop in to see Andrew Gn before heading to the much anticipated Celine show. Gn can always be relied upon to give women sophisticated, embellished luxury, and that's what he did again this season with strong dresses and formal separates.
Phoebe Philo brought dying label Celine back to life last season. With her clean modernist approach, she resuscitated fashion into a forward, graphic,
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