Paris Fashion Week A/W 2017 womenswear editor’s picks
Elie Saab: The Lebanese designer looked to the haunting ballet Giselle for A/W 2017, with a collection that culminated in ruffled, lace and embroidered evening dresses, paired with leather jackets and opulent coats. In a darkly romantic colour palette of dark purple, black and ocean blue, Saab also created lily motifs, which were laser cut or delicately embroidered, and use to symbolise the souls of the departed that feature in the score. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Ellery: Juxtaposed against the more tailored silhouettes of her A/W 2017 collection, Australian designer Kym Ellery created fur trimmed coats and fluid dresses glittering with metallic threads, swirling jacquards and colourful abstract prints. The designer also created explosion-like geometric accessories, which hung as earrings or adorned zippers. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Tod’s: the Italian luxury house celebrated the launch of its collaboration with tattoo artist Saira Hunjan, who has designed a range of tattoo-inspired print bags, pumps and loafers. Hunjan’s tattoo design features an illustration of a being – half lion, half dragon – and the artist was on hand at the house’s rue Rivoli location, tattooing her designs live onto its signature vachetta leather
Delvaux: The brand presented its latest style, the Cool Box, on statues dating back from the early days of its ateliers. The bags are made almost entirely out of a single piece of leather and come in a range of colours with the brand’s ‘D’ transposed as a large handle to open the bag
Balmain: Last season, Olivier Rousteing made navy blue-clad Parisians happy with a uncharacteristically understated collection composed mainly of knitted lurex pieces. Having proved once and for all that his (relative) minimalism is as effective as his maximalism, this time he decided to overcompensate. Zebra stripes! Gold chains! Strass! Calf hair! Leather! Crocodile! Not only was it all there, it also seemed to be all thrown together in most of the looks. It was bling down to the models’ lips, which were decorated with a dash of gold leaf. The collection was rife with covetable pieces: from western-inspired fringes to Amazonian elements (a crocodile jacket remarkably similar to one of Azzedine Alaïa’s most famous pieces stood out) that only Rousteing could work without the shadow of cultural appropriation lurking over him, there was plenty to choose from for classic Rousteing fans. For the rest, it was a delightfully excessive fantasy. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Moncler: Its latest collection, ‘Collide’, links the brand’s iconic puffer jackets with fragments of recomposed fabrics from the hand of artist/designer Greg Lauren. The limited edition collection offers unisex garments in three colourways – flaming red and blue, black and military green. The latter was presented in a large tent fully made out of Moncler’s padded fabric in the colours of the collection
Vanessa Seward: Clover prints, message tees, midi denim skirts – it was business as usual at Vanessa Seward. But why change a winning combination? Seward’s particular brand of easy, accessible chic works wonders with her clients, and this season she once again gave them what they wanted – uncomplicated pieces and jazzed up basics like jeans, shirts, short shift dresses and, for the evening, crepe jumpsuits and long numbers. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Delfina Delettrez: For A/W 2017, the designer took inspiration from the jewellery boxes of well travelled grandmothers, teeming with bejewelled delights. With pieces that defy total definition, single earrings, crafted from interlocking hoops, each individually resembling finger rings, featured hexagonal stones, that appeared flat or three dimensional depending on the viewer’s vantage point. Preoccupied with traditional crafting methods,the stones, which also featured in rings and bracelets, were inlaid using ancient Egyptian setting methods, rarely seen in jewellery design today
Atlein: In its very short life (the brand was only founded last year) Antonin Tron has garnered quite a lot of attention from the industry. His Andam award-winning first collection was presented last season by appointment, so it was only a matter of time for him to stage a show, which he did in an equally understated fashion. The designer presented a collection filled with the sort of pieces that seduced everyone in the first place, namely a series of draped bodycon dresses in supple jerseys. He also experimented with motifs, panelling some velvet dévoré flowers into otherwise plain shift dresses; it was a realist approach to an ultra feminine wardrobe
Nicholas Kirkwood: From the 1980s French electro scene and the era’s futuristic design aesthetic, to the work of artists Jeppe Hein and Daniel Buren, Nicholas Kirkwood tapped into various inspiration resources for his latest collection. The outcome is a predominantly monochrome collection in luxurious fabrications featuring graphic lines, Plexi heels and the designer’s signature half-hidden pearls. The shoes were accompanied by a black-and-white short film shot in triptych format by Spanish artist Rei Nadal
Isabel Marant: There’s a reason why Isabel Marant is often equated to ’la Parisienne’. Parisian women cherish the brand, know of the designer, buy its pieces and try to style them like her shows. Seeing her collection tonight, it’s easy to understand why. There’s an inherent coolness to the brand that seemed particularly enhanced this season: moving away from past seasons’ silhouette experimentation, she just did what she does best: making fun clothes that girls want to wear. There was velvet (both quilted in big coats and brightly printed in dresses), mannish trousers and blazers, lamé and embroidered black denim. Jackets decorated with sequined eyes in the back were an obvious future best-seller. Strass was also introduced (we keep seeing it everywhere – when did it become socially acceptable again?) in place of satin stripes in tuxedo trousers, scattered here and there on jeans and in long chandelier earcuffs paired with masculine poplin shirts. An easy take on the ’masculin-féminin’ that the French love so. Yes, there’s a reason why Isabel Marant is a synonym of ’la Parisienne’. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Nehera: An old industrial space in the 11th arrondissement was the ideal setting for the Nehera show. After all, Samuel Drira has made his place in fashion thanks to a well-balanced mix of minimalism and workwear. There is always a sense of serenity to the brand’s shows, from the slow pace of the models to the earthly tones present in the collection, from ivory to terracotta. This time, though, sky blue and baby pink came into the mix in the shape of boxy puffa jackets and asymmetrical skirts. Small flowers were also there, printed on chiffon dresses just a tad reminiscent of 1930s fashion, rendered modern with extra long leather gloves and flat suede boots. Never one to indulge in too much femininity, though, the designer offered a counterpoint in the textured apron dresses and wide-legged trousers that have become his trademark, and the reason why his fans keep coming to the brand season after season
Pierre Hardy: The designer’s futuristic presentation space featured gently undulating mirrored walls and bright light boxes. The interior details echoed the space-age fabrics Hardy employed for A/W 2017, which took inspiration from the androids Rachael and Pris in Blade Runner. These included boots in shiny patent or with mirrored sculptural heels
Wanda Nylon: Johanna Senyk gained initial renown for her alluring PVC rainwear, and for her second fully-blown runway show the designer’s evolving repertoire included oversized houndstooth trousers, ponyskin coats (with Black Panther-inspired matching berets), metallic suits, and colourful and laddered knitwear. The collection, which emphasised Senyk’s skill in fabrication and cut, was also peppered with her design signature – high-shine playsuits and polo-necks, and a leopard print PVC mackintosh. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Courrèges: ’Courrèges doesn’t belong to us; our mission is only to reconnect with its legacy.’ Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer’s discourse at the start of their presentation was humble – perhaps a bit too humble? After all, the duo has rekindled fashion’s love affair with primary colours, vinyl, and A-line mini dresses in the last four seasons. On the menu this season were the iconic colourful perfectos, mini skirts and dresses that have been the signature of the French brand since the 1960s, but also, in a more innovative turn, a few woolen asymmetrical skirts and coats in black and white, embellished with studs, as well as an oversized cotton coat trimmed with shearling
Hermès: The heritage luxury house collaborated with the renowned designer/artist Mathias Kiss on its A/W 2017 accessories space. Footwear designer Pierre Hardy, who has worked with Hermès for over 25 years, imagined designs in an autumnal claret and black colour palette, positioned on architectural ascending stairs. Bauble-like metal details featured as embellishments and were a futuristic contrast to the bookcase setting in the background
Nancy Gonzalez: The designer’s A/W 2017 collection was inspired by the multifarious colours and smells of the Orient. Pieces were decorated with cascading stems of rose buds, mink and woven crocodile skin. The brand also expanded the range of perfectly shaped shoe styles that it debuted for S/S 2017. Made using precious skins, the designs are all crafted in its Florentine ateliers
Stella Luna: Capucine Safyurtlu looked to the Far East for her A/W 2017 inspiration, using a predominantly red, black and white colour palette. Bow detail designs echoed obi-belts and origami, which featured on elegant sandals and pointed slippers
Ann Demeulemeester: The waifs in Sébastien Meunier’s A/W 2017 runway show for Ann Demeulemeester walked in darkly romantic ensembles, from a sheer lace dress paired with a cropped black waistcoat and wide trousers, to a black leather dress layered with a loose ruffled smock. Looks were finished with white or black veils – half bridal, half funereal – lending the collection an additional layer of eerie melancholy. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Repossi: Creative director Gaia Repossi celebrates her 10th anniversary at the fine jewellery maison this year and, and for her new collection she imagined curving ear cuffs encrusted with pavé diamonds, and even a glittering tear drop emerald which delicately hangs from the lobe of the ear
Aquazzura: From oriental fabrics and Ottoman weaving, to colours that reference byzantine jewels and the embroidered outfits of Josephine Baker, the A/W 2017 collection of Aquazzura is one in which East and West, the twenties and travel come together in an opulent exchange of fabrications.
Haider Ackermann: For A/W 2017, the designer honed his precise and tailored aesthetic, with fitted dresses in leather and with golden detailing and timeless tailoring. Alongside suits with asymmetric or cropped cuts, Ackermann added a touch of frou frou with shearling details that adorned jackets and unusual cropped trousers
Fabrizio Viti: A designer who might be new to some, but who has been working behind the scenes as shoe style director at Louis Vuitton since 2004, Fabrizo Viti presented his second collection in the comfort of his own apartment- the focal point of his eponymous line. The designer’s A/W 2017 collection was inspired by Billie Holiday’s Violets For Your Furs and gives a small nod to the seventies. The floral ’Be My Valentine’ section is inspired by a love story close to home- every year Viti’s father would give his mother violets on Valentine’s Day
Longchamp: Longchamp’s A/W 2017 collection was divided into three different colour palettes, each evoking part of the seventies Parisian woman that inspired the collection. Floral tones evoked her perfume, pink and blush her makeup, and a cognac and khaki palette conjured images of her home
Faith Connexion: Christophe Decarnin has been quick to pick up on the street wear trend, fusing it with the previous glitzy aesthetic he developed working at Balmain, plus a dash of rock & roll. The result was a cool cocktail of embroidered oversized cardigans, sequinned jumpsuits, super luxurious fur jackets and fluoro zebra prints. The collection was fun, exciting and covetable, and the styling and diverse street casting made it even more of-the-moment
Maison Rabih Kayrouz: For A/W 2017, Maison Rabih Kayrouz opted for a static presentation, in order to allow the audience to view the each garment in the collection as an object. The designer’s minimalistic pieces came in black, white or red, crafted in either cashmere, wool or satin. A jewellery collection was a new autumn addition for the brand, with a selection of cuffs and earrings, inspired by and set up as a spine. The pieces were imagined in gold, silver and wood. As they say, good things come in threes
Mugler: David Koma gave the power shoulder an even sharper silhouette, with oversized pointed-shoulders featuring on sharp tailoring, asymmetric thigh-skimming dresses and roll necks. Lurex details in golds, silvers and icy blues featured as drape details on dresses, while the star shape that forms Mugler’s fragrance bottles was echoed in pointed cutout details, which sliced further inches off mini-dresses. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Tomasini Paris: The French bag label cites eighties architecture and design as its overarching inspiration, but for A/W 2017 it looked to Josef Albers’ 1964 painting Study for Homage to the Square. The artwork features a series of squares set inside each other, and this geometric preoccupation was echoed in shoulder bags embellished with rows of hardware squres, with interlinking gold chains
Theory: For A/W 2017, Theory offered different interpretations of the women’s suit. There were masculine double-breasted jackets and checked off the shoulder designs, in crisp white and berry velvet. Trousers were cut in several styles, giving the Theory woman a suit for every mood
Francesco Russo: The Italian-born Paris-based shoe designer presented his A/W 2017 collection in his beautiful rue de Valois boutique. His elegant styles included ankle and knee-high boots in supple leopard-print and stilettos with unusual pointed cut-outs
Neous: Stylist Vanissa Antonious and Alan Buanne, who classically trained in the art of shoe making in Florence, presented a new collection of comfortable, minimalistic designs. The contemporary styles stand out in their use of innovative materials and graphic details
Roger Vivier: The Roger Vivier woman for A/W 2017 is well-travelled and fond of seventies style. From 19th-century Ottoman fabrics to abstract wallpaper patterns, her shoes and bags are inspired by objects from all around the world. In celebration of the collection, the brand also invited Jean-Paul Goude to create an installation titled All Singing, All Dancing, imagined as a giant beatbox with over 100 video screens,with shoes walking and dancing to the beat of the Roger Vivier world
TSATSAS: A new season means new additions to the growing range of TSATSAS’s contemporary collection. After a successful collaboration with Kvadrat last year, the brand now introduces its first backpack, a design that is in line with its signature ‘Fluke’ bag. Also new are the ‘Tape’ pouches featuring a long leather fringe and the ‘Cy’ bag, a shoulder bag that sports the brands first more rounded shape
Esteban Cortazar: An offering which climaxed with rapturous applause from the audience, Esteban Cortazar’s vibrant and eclectic A/W 2017 offering featured fluffy tartan prints, silk florals, tiled photo prints and enchanting whippet prints that featured on bomber jackets and V-neck silk shirts. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Charlotte Chesnais: Scroll through Charlotte Chesnais’ Instagram, and the jewellery designer’s images of spiralling staircases and circular artworks emphaise her love of the shape. For A/W 2017, the designer emphasised this intrigue with large circular designs, featuring tubular forms that interlock within each other. Positioned on a wooden mannequin of a hand, one gold choker design boasted a smaller circle detail, which hangs as a hollowed out pendant
Kenzo: Carol Lim and Humberto Leon presented La Collection Memento No.1, a new collection series with each chapter celebrating the rich archive of the house, founded in Paris by the Japanese designer Kenzo Takada in 1964. For its first chapter, Lim and Leon have reissued bright and bold styles that the house have become synonymous with, including a wool beret and a summer hued knitted vest from A/W 1971 and a ruffled smock dress from A/W 81
VK Lillie: The mother and daughter creative duo’s jewellery collection took inspiration from chromotherapy, the concept of healing through colour. The collection featured Medicine Bag necklaces, created from transparent leather and painted with natural dye collected when travelling in Morocco and Mexico. VK Lillie presented the collection through an experiental dinner, with guests encouraged to paint their meal onto a light canvas table cloth. During each course of the meal, the sound and colour of the room changed, allowing diners to be immersed in the power of different colours as the meal progressed.
Officine Générale: Founded by Pierre Mahéo in 2012, the coveted menswear label debuted its first Officine Générale women’s collection. Drawing from its menswear DNA of timeless and luxurious pieces at an affordable price point, the collection features seamless knits, frayed collared shirts and practical water repellent coats in a neutral colour palette. ‘People were telling me you should do women’s!’ explains Mahéo of his decision to branch into womenswear. We approve.