Dior SS 16

Set within a magnificent mountain like 43,000 square foot tent covered in 400,000 stalks of Delphinium flowers (courtesy Bureau Betak), the setting for the Dior SS16 show was nothing short of a spectacle. Inside, the feminine, floral décor was juxtaposed with a futuristic runway and seating of all white with four swivel arms covered in fifty projectors. And this juxtaposition was exactly what the clothes were all about. Masculine versus feminine, future versus the past.

The show opened with a cotton lingerie style top and shorts in all white, featuring scalloped hems. Worn under stiff organza dresses, sweaters and jackets, this look was recurrent throughout the collection. What I loved about the collection were contrasts seen. The masculine bar jackets came with flowy micro pleats at the hems. There were Raf's versions of parka jackets. He stripped them from their utilitarian and rugged status and instead made them soft, girly and desirable as hell. Who wouldn't want to wear a pleated silk parka? Scallop hemmed and cropped sculptural sweaters featuring oversized and rounded shoulders paired with feminine organdie shorts or a high low shirt dress further proved the designer's love for contrasts. Finally, a Dior show is never complete without exceptionally tailored suits. And so there were three piece pinstriped pantsuits (one worn with a funky leather top)and extremely trendy short suits.

Meanwhile, the accessories will end up being the season's most coveted. No surprises there. Scarf like chokers with dangling 1947 and the number 8 metal charms will be seen on every IT girl and replicated by every high street chain there is. New bag shapes were also seen, one being a tube shaped purse with the cannage detailing on the sides which is now on my wishlist.

In an era that is fuelled by fast fashion, Raf took the road less travelled. His focus was on garment construction and techniques. He wanted to create clothes that won't be replaced. "My heart goes very much to trying to concentrate on a wardrobe that you can evolve with," explains the designer on an interview posted on Dior Mag. And that is just what he delivered. 

J'adore.

Paris Fashion Week Round Up - Loewe

 

Loewe SS15

Being a big J.W Anderson fan, I was quite looking forward to seeing his debut womenswear collection for Loewe. And I'm glad he didn't disappoint. Whilst referring back to past collections from the Spanish house to compare, I noticed that even though there were beautiful clothes, there was also some restraint. Not this time though. J.W. Anderson seems to have liberated Loewe by adding his signature to it. Staying true to the house's codes, the designer used a lot of leather throughout, but focussed on lightness and fluidity at the same time.

A caramel coloured suede dress opened the show with patches of leather appliqued onto it and a bunch of colourful tops that came in the middle featuring the same leather patchwork were edgy with somewhat of a primal feel. I also loved those tailored yet slightly slouchy judo pants in various colours. The house's archival scarf prints were transferred on to latex tops which was a bold move. Personally I'm not a latex clothing fan, but it's interesting to the note the various different textures Anderson played with. Other fabrics like silk and linen also made their way through to the collection. A knitted silk and gauze maxi dress,  a pleated linen skirt and a baby blue Merino wool jumper were so simple but beautiful.

I never paid much attention to Loewe bags before, but that has changed since seeing this collection. Not only has J.W. Anderson designed some lovely clothes, but some pretty cool bags too. The new shapes include a super soft hobo ish bag called the Bounce bag and also a gorgeous tote that comes in delicious colours called the Puzzle bag. But perhaps the most desirable purse was the one with patches of fabric stitched on to it just like on some of the clothes. I can't wait to see this collection in stores.

All in all, a fantastic debut for J.W Anderson as the new creative director at the Spanish label. He has beautifully reinvented the Loewe woman and I'm loving her.



Loewe SS15

Loewe SS15 Bounce Bag

Loewe SS15 Bag

Loewe SS15 Puzzle Bag

 

Paris Fashion Week Round Up - Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten SS15

Light and breezy does it with the Dries Van Noten SS15 collection. The DVN girl doesn't need to try hard. She sort of puts on her clothes with the greatest of ease and is good to go. And that is exactly what we saw. The ensembles were almost effortless, and crafted from the most luxurious fabrics some of which were actually created for the collection. There were jackets, bound to sell out like hot cakes - like the opening jacket in what looked like silk jacquard or a tribal-esque embroidered black zip front bomber or even a bi-colour sleeveless piece in raw silk and beautiful pink embroidered flowers.

There was an undeniable Indian feel all over especially with the use of printed silk, brocade and  those slouchy trousers that reminded me of jodhpurs/patialas. One look in particular that consisted of a round hemmed silk tunic worn over loosely fitted trousers almost looked it was a short kurti and a Patiala suit. Colourful, striped clothes like a wafty, tiered maxi, a see through shirt worn under a sleeveless vest or the cropped trousers were fun and extremely desirable. There was of course the designer's signature masculine touch seen in the knee length shorts. But one look that bowled me over was a semi-sheer tank maxi, featuring a rich brocade bust and a thigh high slit paired with a pair of jeans that had a gold cuff. Bohemian doesn't get chicer than that. Also, the jewellery, a simple branch, held together by the most delicate gold chain - I'll be damned if I don't buy that next year!

Dries Van Noten SS15

 

Paris Fashion Week Round Up - Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton SS15

There are some shows that linger on in your head for a while to come. This was one of them. Whilst I can't talk about the set which many deemed to be the best of the season, I can certainly say that the clothes most definitely were. Ghesquière played with texturing and used some phenomenal construction techniques as was seen in the knitwear throughout the show. Leather was cleverly intertwined in the necks of knit dresses and tops that opened the show. I especially loved the high necked ones where the leather hung like a shoe lace. In the middle of the show, there were a bunch of really edgy dresses with soft, curvy folds on the skirt made from either intricate, laser cut leather (at least it looked like that) or a combination knitwear and leather. The green, white and black number in particular was a favourite. Glitzy yet sporty (because of the zip front), heavily sequinned dresses worn over tights were perfect for the eveningwear category.

The designer has used skins extensively in this past two collections for Louis Vuitton and it was no different this time. From the series of looks made out of eel skin, a red, yellow and black sleeveless shift stood out. However, the most talked about pieces are no doubt going those printed ensembles with fun items like salt/pepper shakers, the petite malle bags, nail polish, rotary telephone and eyelash curlers amongst other things. The printed jeans are definitely going to grace the cover of almost every big shot magazine come next year.

Being a leather goods house, bags were naturally a crucial part of the show. Shoulder bags were either boxy & structured or were soft with a fold over design. There were new variations of the Petite Malle and also a very large version of the Alma. However, my personal favourite was one that looked similar to their Chantilly cross body bag. Except this had an extra strap to hold it as a shoulder bag (you can also hold is as a cross body) and a cool clasp closure.

Louis Vuitton SS15

Louis Vuitton SS15 Bags

Louis Vuitton SS15 Bags

 

Paris Fashion Week Round Up - Christian Dior

Dior SS15

When Raf Simons presented his couture collection a few months ago, I was left mesmerised by not only the clothes but how he looked to the past for the future and reinterpreted it in the most original manner. For next Spring, the designer continued the theme and transformed the haute couture clothes he showcased, into ready to wear. “For this collection I wanted to continue; I thought there was more to explore. By beginning with the ingredients and the form language of the couture, but going further, I wanted the ready-to-wear to feel more modern, more dynamic, more real – I wanted it to be made available to a wider audience ” explains Raf in the press release.

There were lighter versions of the pannier dresses that were previously a part of the couture collection. Except this time the bodices were in the form of racer back knit tanks. Embroidered 18th century court coats and gilets, most of which had like a ribbon closure along with long Edwardian coats were worn over skater shorts, beautifully combining the old and the new. A powder blue velvet jacket (forming an inverted V from below the bust because of a wrap-over construction) with pretty colourful buttons and another in coral linen with black embroidery were my favourites amongst the outerwear. Dresses crafted from plaited ribbon (Monsieur Dior loved ribbon) looked fresh and modern. Pant suit jackets and coat dresses with buttons on the hips were reminiscent of Dior's New Look. There was lots of white used throughout the collection. The lightly embroidered shirt dresses towards the end resembling nightdresses from the Victorian era looked really cool especially when worn over contrasting coloured hand-knitted boots.

A collection inspired by a very rich past, but modern and light enough to wear now; is it any wonder why Raf is currently one of the greatest fashion designers today.

Dior SS15