Paris fashion week marks the end of a busy spring summer schedule spanning a month of international runways across four major cities. Social distancing has not limited designers’ ability to express themselves, if anything it has shown that formats were more wildly differing than ever before. Olivier Rousteing had a genius idea to project some famed front-rowers onto screens at his Balmain show, this was done in their absence due to global travel restrictions. At Chanel, the theme of grandeur continued against the backdrop of a life-size Chanel version of the Hollywood sign, and meanwhile at Miu Miu, Kate Moss’ daughter Lila made her catwalk debut. Sadly, Kenzo founder Kenzo Takada passed away during Paris fashion week. His energetic presence transformed the fashion world, and his legacy lives on through his brand.
In this week’s spring/summer collections slouchy pants were trending strongly in relaxed shapes, some with man-style pleats and others with a utility feel such as a washed cotton version at Chloe in military green.
The pink trend continues as designers add freshness to their summer palettes. Shades ranged from electric coral at Elie Saab and Isabel Marant to more washed-out shades of blush at Chanel. Metallic magenta was a notable highlight of the week.
Classic black and white made an appearance in most collections throwing focus onto silhouette which allowed designers to use colour blocking to great effect such as at Kristina Fidelskaya. Sorbet shades from lavender to zesty lemon were added to the mix for contrast.
[KRISTINA FIDELSKAYA TRENCH]
The monochrome trend allows for a diverse selection of luxe textiles including guipure lace, frilled edging, and French applique. This was most effective at Andrew Gn where a wide variety of decorative techniques were used to spectacular effect.
A cathedral inspired catwalk at Dior was the perfect backdrop for a beautifully decorative collection that featured cotton brocades, delicate floral layers, and tie-dye, the perennial favourite. Smudged florals also made an appearance in many collections during the week.
Tailoring is a cornerstone of French fashion and this was a major theme in many collections such as Balmain where exaggerated pagoda shoulders added structure to a range that played with the aesthetic of symmetry and proportion. Dress and jacket combinations were spectacular at Paco Rabanne along with fluid crepe suits at Elie Saab.
Cyber punk at Rick Owens was among some of the harder edge looks that emerged directly from the future and showcased his creative genius with opposing materials like silk chiffon over heavily constructed shapes.
By Roger Grinstead for Melbourne My Style
