SS17 saw newly-appointed design heads giving storied houses their individual touch...
This season of Paris Fashion Week held monumental importance as major high-fashion houses saw newly-recruited design heads giving them a fresh perspective and direction. Be it Anthony Vaccarello at Yves Saint Laurent, Maria Grazia Chiuri at Christian Dior, Bouchra Jarrar at Lanvin or Pierpaolo Piccioli going solo at Valentino. Vaccarello after his memorable stint at Versus Versace, fills Hedi Slimane's big shoes at YSL. He brought back 'Yves' in Saint Laurent and hosted his first show at a palatial building site—a former monastery, later a military headquarters and is now being restored as the Saint Laurent headquarters. At Dior, Maria Grazia laced her collection with a street credo and sportified toughness by sending out fencing jackets, knickerbockers, sneakers and knee-length boots. The athleticism of the sporty pieces was offset by the softness of Tarot-inspired gowns and dresses. She also brought back Galliani's J'adore Dior logo and Hedi Slimane's Dior Homme embroidered bee. At Valentino, Pierpaolo was inspired by the work of Zandra Rhodes, the great British fashion designer of 70s and 80s and at Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci brought back his Mandala prints, seen on Kendall Jenner's black dress. Here's the lowdown on collections which stood out...
Yves Saint Laurent
Vibe: Glam Rock
Highlights: Anthony Vaccarello loves black and one look at his previous body of work at Versus and also his own label (which he's closed down now to focus on YSL) and one can vouch for that. Slashed ultra-high at the thighs and accented with metals, his core aesthetic has always been about the quintessential Parisian femme fatale. At this big ticket showing at YSL, he re-imagined a puffed-shouldered number from an Yves Saint Laurent collection circa 1982 in a black leather format. He also brought back the notorious mono-boob dress and presented plunging bustier tops in leather or velvet, pelmet skirts and boyfriend denims. A one-shoulder tux mini with a half cape like extension was charming and so were gold lamé dresses and skirts along with ultra-skinny smoking suits. The slick YSL logo heels finished off the glam rock garments beautifully.
Christian Dior
Vibe: Sportified femininity
Highlights: It was clearly a new Dior under the aegis of Maria Grazia Chiuri! A heritage label steeped in femininity, extravagance, some degree of embellishment and romance saw its reinvention with a flurry of fencing jackets and knickerbockers. It was a nod to warrior chic as quilted, optic white fencing kits with buckled-on halters worn with a new line of sneakers and knee-length boots took to the runway. Of course, there were Tarot-inspired evening dresses too and Chiuri made a feminist statement by sending out a white t-shirt which read, 'We Should All Be Feminists'. Models sported minimal make-up and completed their look with braided top knots.
Alexandre Vauthier
Vibe: Rock chick
Highlights: The label has always effortlessly exemplified the sexy, body-con, rock chick aesthetic. The opening off-shoulder number with trimmed in gold hardware and zipper accents set the mood for this uber-chic line-up. There were fishnet sleeveless hoodies, jersey separates, and cotton undies - all screaming party girl, who enjoys glamour. A slickly tailored black tuxedo stood out as did a structured minidress. Camouflage prints, military coats in khaki, denims and crisp white shirt gave it a boyfriend chic allure.
Rahul Mishra
Inspiration: Henri Rousseau
Highlights: Playful, innocent and whimsical - these three adjectives come to mind when one analyses Rahul's collection. The designer brought back nostalgic memories of a children's picnic with his masterful usage of gingham, ruffles and pleats making it poetic and preppy. Mishra drew inspiration from the luscious and tactile flora and fauna of a Henri Rousseau painting. The checks were punctuated with flashes of yellow silk and an artful layering with voile made the offering airy, ethereal and light. A hand-embroidered trenchcoat stood out and so did a red gingham asymmetric ruffled dress worn with a voile shirt. However, the real high-points were the 3 D floral applique embroideries which gave a new appeal to this sustainable outing.
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