Paris Fashion Week Spring Summer 2019 collections saw designers resurrecting the idea of a bold female figurine — who has a strong point of view and dresses as she pleases and isn’t afraid to take risks. Maria Grazia Chiuri had a dancer’s super-light closet on her mind and Jacquemus was celebrating the sun-kissed sensuality of his beloved Riviera girl. Besides the celebration of the feminine power in all its glory, design houses added a new layer to their offering by showcasing them in theatre-style presentations. Alessandro Michele rekindled the late 70s and early 80s theatre and nightlife in Montmartre by showcasing at Le Palace old theatre. It was also a season of ample performances on the ramp — be it Dior’s dance piece, choreographed by Tel Aviv–based Sharon Eyal or the iconic Jane Birkin giving a surprise rendition at Gucci. Here’s looking at some of the talking points from the French capital.
THE LANGUAGE OF DANCE
Christian Dior
Athleticism-meets-romanticism has been at the heart of the hallowed French house ever since Maria Grazia Chiuri took over the creative helm. For Spring Summer 19, freedom was on Chiuri’s mind which reflected in her flared skirts and jersey dresses in nude, beige, black and navy. A floaty, light-weight and almost dream-like macrame dress stood out and so did abstract floral prints numbers and shibori print pieces. See-through mesh was clashed with solid pieces, tulle was netted in macrame and bustiers were deboned — all of which proved to be the winning formula. The high-point were the footwear and accessories — plexi-heeled wedges with nude straps and the saddle bag.
RIVIERA CHIC
Jacquemus
Jacquemus put his giant beach straw hat on the fashion map last year, which became a major insta phenomenon. In a short span of time, he’s become the toast of the fashion set — be it his clever way of capturing the Riviera life on his social media handles or his off-the-wall format of showcasing, for instance, his unique menswear showcase last time. This season, he put the spotlight on a giant raffia tote. His second-skin knitted sundresses worn with a nonchalance and minus any underwear oozed sensuality and radiated had a Portofino vibe. Strappy logo-ed heels, a knotted white shirt teamed with a pair of hot pants, slashed-at-the-thigh fringed dresses in a summery palette are perfect for hot climes.
MORE IS MORE
Gucci
Alessandro Michele had Le Palace on his mind — a swinging nightclub frequented by the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. This outing captured the louche exoticism of Michele’s favourite decades — 70s and 80s. A men’s check coat, worn with a leather bag with interlocking G and Horsebit hardware and a tiger head was inspired by a vintage Hattie Carnegie design and a felted hat was inspired by singer songwriter Janis Joplin. A tailored skirt stood out thanks to a French phrase which appeared on it — ‘Deux Pieces Pour La Cote d’Azur’ (meaning two-piece for the French Riviera). Blurring eras, identities and cultures — there’s no denting Michele’s alchemical prowess.
GLAM ROCK GANG
Saint Laurent
Since his arrival at YSL, Anthony Vaccarello has been penning a lexicon on the night club dressing borrowing from the archive and also deriving from his predecessor Hedi Slimane’s vocabulary. There were plenty of bodysuits with ample pelvage on display, fluttery transparent dresses in leopard prints and chainmails and metallic capes rendered in interlocking star motif. His glamazon army wore the tiniest of hot pants and micro shorts teamed with strappy platform heels and gold booties. As his models walked on the shallow water against the glimmering Eiffel Tower, they oozed tremendous sexual power expressed through sophisticated clothing.
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