Paris Fashion Week: Paco Rabanne

Those Fédération Francaise de la Couture are a tough folk to deal with when you’re not known. I won’t go into the whole accreditation procedure, but let it be known that we were not invited to several of the shows I had my heart set on and I don’t know if I am as corageous as Yael to storm my way in, so the names presented here may not be the who’s who in fashion.

Paco Rabanne

I wasn’t too familiar with the name Paco Rabanne, so I came in skeptical of what I was about to see. Needless to say, I was surpised and pleased. I went into this thinking, why am I covering designers (in this case Patrick Robinson) that I don’t know? Why can’t we get into the more established shows? Out came the first wave of models.

Wow. Wow. and wow. I was silenced and watched on, not even scribbling notes, so I am going from memory. The show was high on silks, slightly above the knee length skirts, and racer back tanks. The pieces were slinky and felt to me as if he walked the fine line between sexy and futuristic. How do you incorporate silk and metal into an outfit? Ask Robinson, because he does just that with several of the pieces that were on display. It comes off suprisingly well. I’m learning the back story on this designer and will probably do a retro feature in the near future on Paco Rabanne. Definitely a great experience.

-Meryl Demiglio

Milan Fashion Week wrap-up

First things first. We must get into more shows next year. Must.

Onto the wrap-up. It goes without saying that femininity is back big time in the world of fashion. New York’s was frocking good. It was all about skirts that made women beautiful, or it could be the other way around. The disheveled, unkempt look is thankfully gone.

London, according to Taina’s coverage was darker and definitely edgier for the spring.

Milan designers seemed to recognize that real women aren’t the waif thin models parading the runway. They have shape, they have form and they are still beautiful. Just look at the D&G line and you’ll understand what I am talking about.

Prada went the route of romance and could do no wrong. The designer showed aggressive form with the bright pink heels and the bamboo wedges. The clothes maintained the feminine edge so prevalent in Prada designs with a nod to the past.

Armani showed that the hourglass figure trumps the boyish cut every. single. time. The muted pastels, the sarong skirts and the sheer material.

Emilion Pucci Kept the feminine theme going, but Christian Lacroix’s last design for the label brought out the colors that Pucci is famous for. Oceanic blues, slight pinks all done in arcs. Definitely a highlight of the Milan fashion week.

In total, the era of the beautiful, feminine woman is back (as if it ever left) for spring.

Emilio Pucci

With news of Christian Lacroix leaving Pucci, this show took on a special meaning. The pieces were the normal colorful Pucci fair. With a respectful nod to the 60s, models sauntered out on the runway in violet patterns of serpentined intermixed with blue and purple all in an arc-like form. These pieces on display really demonstrated vivid use of oceanic colors. Swimsuits that clung on in perfect fashion adorned the models. You knew genius was at work here. Bravo Christian Lacroix and good luck!

Prada, romance on display

No one does a show quite like Prada; it was different, it was romantic, it was nostalgic. Every piece was well crafted and could literally fit on a variety of sizes. The whitewashed gabardine tunic dresses would work on the typical mid-twenty year old fashionista in New York LA and everywhere in between. My favorite shoe on display at the show was this bamboo wedge: two bamboo sticks in differing lengths placed parallel, one behind the other create a lovely heel that screams buy us, buy us now.

In a move that is sure to make PETA organize and protest, models wheeled out white crocodile bags (that’s right girls, roll along luggage) and oversized vanity cases in canvas with cyclamen trims.

It was a throwback to the Prada heyday. Love, life, femininity all purposely on display. Emilio Pucci is up next.

Armani, D&G, Ferragamo oh my!

The Italians sure know how to put on a show. Milan fashion week designs are coming back to the states at a furious pace and I am in love. Feminity is on display. Lots of it. In heaping spoonfuls.

Armani
No more androgenous models that kept you guessing as to their sex. Armani went pure feminine. The outlandish head attire, the fugly make-up, all went out the window. Armani turned up the notch by going elaborate but sexy, while accentuating a lighter spring. A mix of colors were on display. You had the saccharin pastels, classic blacks and a variety of florals sauntering down the runway. The waif thin models wore rounded jackets that fit snuggly, stacked peep-toe heels, white-stripped blazers. There was a good amount of satin on display. I’m in love.

Ferragamo
Somebody must have given Mr. Black the memo. The house of Ferragamo woke up and gave us a glimpse of their interpretation of spring. It’s about looking professional while maintaining femininity. There were no trends at the show. It was about fashion that could withstand decades. Really. The real standout was a full length knit gown. There were others like the open-work camisole all dressed up in lace, a knit dress and several flowing skirts. Solids were definitely on display, deep reds, bright whites and not very many spring pastels.

D&G
This show took place in a warehouse near the airport. It was as if the designers were seeking to make up lost time in terms of white. The show had very little color and was a veritable winter wonderland. That is definitely not a bad thing. Especially taking into account the designs at play. It made the focus more on the design and less on the usage of colors. Sure, pastels showed up, but it was mainly about white. White with lace, white with cotton, and white with chiffon all wrapped up in a neat package. There was something Victorian about the show.

The 3 shows demonstrated that the Italians were in a different place when compared to their American and English counterparts.