In the slightly skewed world of high fashion, the four seasons have now all seemingly merged into one, with the haute couturiers believing our year is one eternal summer. It speaks volumes about not just the lifestyles of their international clientele who might be in Abu Dhabi one week and Amsterdam the next, but it also illustrates the changing demographic: the power of the Middle Eastern market and the increasing number of Asian clientele for this rarefied world of fashion.
On the catwalk last week we were in Paris to view the autumn/winter collections, but there was barely a coat or even a fur stole on show. Designers devoted whole sections of their collections to a cool palette of creamy whites, shorts and dresses that could be worn any time of year in any location around the globe.
If a client was looking for tailoring or a long coat, there were some finely structured pieces to be found at Christian Dior, Chanel, Gaultier, Schiaparelli and Armani Privé. What stood out, however, were the pretty white and delicate pastel-coloured, embroidered, structured dresses at Dior, the moulded ivory gowns at Chanel and the sublimely lyrical neoclassical style of Valentino, where column dresses were criss-crossed with leather laces and straps.
This lovely collection designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli was memorable for its chaste ivory dresses, worn by models with Pre-Raphaelite waves in their hair. There was nothing flashy or overtly sexy (even the sheer lace gowns seemed virtuous), just dresses with long sleeves and beautiful graphic appliqués that suggested an age of innocence.
It was nearly all monochrome and glitzy crystal at Atelier Versace, however, where Donatella Versace streamlined her silhouette to graphic gowns that were half long skirt and half trousers or shorts, trimmed with gilded buckled straps. There were some fine trousers and a few fur jackets, but she doesn’t make any pretence that much of this will end up on the red carpet, like most of Elie Saab’s beaded dresses.
What has been happening in the past year or so is a modernising of haute couture. The craftsmanship, the exquisite beading and embroideries are the major feature, but there is more flexibility in the collections.
Raf Simons at Dior, for instance, presented dark floor-sweeping coats over bright, elegant trousers that were strikingly understated and casual. Zuhair Murad showed a futuristic silver tunic dress that would look beautiful on a leggy 20-year-old or teamed with white trousers or a long skirt on someone older. Georges Hobeika similarly showed a glistening navy cropped zippered jacket that could be worn with a pair of jeans and a petal hemmed skirt that would look great with a white T-shirt.
There were more modern elements at Giambattista Valli, whose Valli girls will snap up his white party dresses with their delicate green embroideries and flowered column skirts with black sweaters. Instead of sweaters, Alexis Mabille picked out taffeta man’s shirts tucked into big ball skirts, to give his line a contemporary twist. At Maison Martin Margiela, beautiful antique fabrics, beaded patchworks and vintage coins were combined with white cottons and satins in a modern, eclectic way for truly one-of-a-kind outfits.
At Schiaparelli, Marco Zanini in his second season has the task of reinventing a house that, until two years ago, had been shuttered since the 1950s and making it relevant to the modern customer. So there were many references to Schiaparelli’s legacy, her shocking pink and her wide-shouldered silhouette, but there was a quirky eccentricity that will warm a new fan base. Armani and Gaultier similarly played to their fan bases. Jean-Paul Gaultier looked to vampires and the House of Horrors for inspiration in his slickly presented collection of dramatic black and red tuxedo looks, super-glam sports blousons and sophisticated velvet dinner gowns.
Giorgio Armani echoed Gaultier’s red and black palette – another colour trend this season – with short swing coats and snappily chic shorts suits for his Privé collection. The shorts suits are more evidence of the younger customer embracing the luxurious world of couture. They were the cornerstone of Chanel’s collection along with the moulded, seamless fabrics and the revolutionary idea of using tiny concrete tiling on jackets which, unbelievably, were as light as a feather – but then that is the magic of haute couture.
For our full coverage of Paris Haute Couture Week, go to thenational.ae/blogs/all-dressed-up
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