Paris Fashion Week – September 24th

Christophe Lemaire

The Christophe Lemaire show was as Parisian as a PFW show could get. Clean lines, chic capes & jackets, playing on monochrome with black, white, grey & navy, and effortless cuts. It may not have ben an exciting collection but it was definitely one of the most elegant this season. I loved the poker straight hair to the side with the clip sweeping to the back though, and the natural look beauty regime also worked wonders and especially so for this collection.

Cédric Charlier

For French designer Cédric Charlier, the SS15 collection was about spicing up your life with sheen mustard & black combinations, colour blocking bright hues with one another, mixing feather fringes and mesh together and layering up with tiered ruffles. It was a lovely collection that had any sleepy eyes awaken within seconds of the opening look.

Guy Laroche

I love how Guy Laroche moved through his themes chronologically; he opened the show with a sexy leather trio, moved on to soft navy dungarees & a short suit, then introduced the laser cut pieces that transitioned into chic smart coats, then played around with yellow tweed that resembles snakeskin patterns before omitting navy for white, nude & yellow stripes then added a pop of plum and returned to black with coloured sequin embellishments for the closing section of the show. A brilliant transition from one theme to another.

Dries Van Noten

For the Dries Van Noten show, there was a lot going on from the mossy green forest floor, a carpet specially created by Argentinean artist Alexandra Kehayoglou, to the silky sheen colour blocking pieces, the extensive prints & patterns channelling the hippie era that often clashed with one another and the low-waisted harem-style pants. The designer definitely brought the 1970s back with his clever collection, he even had the models sit on the carpet floor for his walk out, reminiscent of Woodstock Festival.

Damir Doma

The Damir Doma show was perfectly muted and still simple & chic. Normcore was definitely an influence for this Ready-To-Wear collection from the oversized blouses and short-sleeved denim jacket, the monochrome themed tweed, textured suits but also a shot of fun via leather fringe & cracked leather effects and sports luxe trims.

Rochas

For the Spring 2015 collection, Rochas’ head designer Alessandro Dell’Acqua opted for an ethereal theme and reintroduced the hummingbird from the brand’s archives to cover many of the pieces, along with floral & bird motifs, mesh & classic patterned lace, overlays, maxi pencil skirts, striped detailing, boxy jacket and even gold metallic numbers.

Alexis Mabille

Sporty luxe and sexy femininity were the two themes that collided in the Alexis Mabille show, opening & closing with dresses influenced by a boxer’s robe that appeared in different styles from the long satin-cuffed sleeves, to hooded dresses & dress-coats, but also featured mesh overlay pieces, half-satin half-crepe knotted asymmetrical dresses and a lot of chic shorts. I really enjoyed this show, it was sporty and sexy, a brilliant combination.

Balenciaga

With designer Alexander Wang at the helm of the fashion house now, the collection was bound for a fresh style that of course still embodies the Balenciaga message. And my did Wang do a great job, not a disappointed face in the house. The opening look featured a long sleeveless coat over a sheer-panelled bodysuit but what really got me were those glasses. If I may say so, The Matrix did come to mind. Cut outs, more sheer & mesh panels, long coats & boxy jackets, embellishment, ruched textures and clean lines; everything was structured and everything was totally on-point.

Vionnet

I enjoyed the futuristic style of the Vionnet show. Muted monochrome tones accented with flashes of blue or red, a lot of accessories and still it managed to be a sexy combination of the aforementioned. The textures were light from tulle skirts to thread-like circular pattern overlays but also bordered with leather straps, fur and statement neck pieces. Goga Ashkenazi did an amazing job for the label’s SS15 collection.