Following the days
of menswear fashion shows in Paris, haute couture collections took the
catwalks from Tuesday to Thursday. Despite the event’s overall
extravaganza, the number of visitors attending the shows was less than
the previous edition. Hotels in the area reported a 9 percent decline
in guests during Paris Fashion Week, which was most likely due to the
recent attack on satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, last month.
Only 14 selected labels have the privilege to state they produce haute
couture. In Paris, the title haute couture is legally protected and
subject to strict criteria. Fashion designers may only call themselves
haute couturiers if they have been a guest member of the Chambre
Syndicale de la Couture – the institute which appoints designers haute
couturiers – for five years and if the members of the institute all
agree.
The most recent name to be added to the list of haute couturiers is
Alexandre Vauthier, who names artists such as Beyonce and Rihanna
among his clients. A number of designers have also been invited to
show during haute couture week on a temporary basis, including the
likes of Versace, Valentino, Viktor & Rolf, Yiqing Yin and
Schiaparelli.
During haute couture week, designers seemed to have been channeling
a feeling of lightness. That sentiment, imagination and optimism will
undoubtedly trickle down the fashion link to the fast-fashion chain
and ordinary consumers. Flowers played a major role during Haute
Couture Week, especially in Chanel’s show, where mechanical flowers
‘blossomed’ in the middle of the circular catwalk.
Then there was Naomi Campbell, who walked the catwalk wearing an
ensemble which resembled a full bouquet during the end of the wedding
parade during Jean Paul Gaultier show. The French designer previously
announced last year that he would stop working on this prêt-à-porter
line in order to turn his full attention to his haute couture
collections.
Italian fashion house Versace kicked off the start of haute couture
week, with actresses and mother-daughter duo Goldie Hawn and Kate
Hudson attending the event, which saw a series of models present form
fitting outfits in vivid blues, reds and whites.
“I was always thinking of the future for so many years and I was
always anti-romanticising the past, but the past can be beautiful
too,” said Raf Simons, creative director at Dior to AFP backstage after the show.
For the fashion house’s summer collection, he created fluorescent orange boots and
tight catsuits with flower-power patterns which were presented by
models who descended from a space-opera created in the gardens of the
Musée Rodin in Paris.
According to the designer himself, the garments represent the romance
of the fifties, with the experimental side of the sixties and the
freedom of the seventies. He wanted to create something that wilder,
more sensual, more strange and certainly more liberating for the realm
of haute couture for women.
Karl Lagerfeld, thought that the world, in particular the capital of
France, could benefit from some lightness and humor, following the
tragic event on January 7. For Chanel’s show, he transformed the Grand
Palais into a magical garden with giant white tropical flowers made
from origami, palm trees and banana leaves. The show opened with
gardeners, carrying padded watering cans to water the plants.
Every outfit could been seen as flowering plant, which opened
during the show’s finale and came to full bloom. The fashion house
presented tweed jackets with flowers and suits in a series of pastel
shades. There were also a number of long chiffon blouses, which were
worn over midi skirts and cropped tops.
Viktor & Rolf also embraced flowers on the catwalk. Viktor Horsting
and Rolf Snoeren from Geldrop were inspired by the painter Vincent van
Gogh, which led to straw hats and slippers making their way into the
collection. The duo also teamed up with fabrics company Vlisco, who
produced the fabrics used.
Shakespeare, Dante and Marc Chagell were the inspirational sources for
the haute couture summer collection ’15 from Valentino, which
translate to velvet, embroidery and floaty fabrics. There was also a
strong Russian folklore theme throughout the collection, seen in the
use of traditional fabrics, vests and pinafore dresses. Valentino also
presented corsets,both transparent models as well as silk and lace
models.
One name was absent from the schedule – Maison Margiela. The fashion
house, now under the creative direction of John Galliano, presented
its collection earlier last month in London rather than Paris. A
decision which, as it often happens, may led to Maison Margiela losing
its status of haute couture. By Yasmine Esser, translated by
Vivian Hendriksz
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