As the editorial elite bid adieu to Paris, Fashion Week SS14 has officially come to a close. As can only be expected, Paris rounded things off in spectacular style with a wealth of dazzling shows from those cool-kids at Kenzo through to Marc Jacobs' final bow at Louis Vuitton
The home of Haute Couture certainly delivered this season, with an array of breathtaking collections putting the Ooh in Ooh La La.
Without further ado, here is our edit of the most glorious collections from PFW... Best enjoyed with a box of Ladurée macaroons, of course.
NEW OPULENCE
Paris wouldn't be Paris without a generous dosage of ooh-la luxury. This season designers took a global approach to glamour.
At Valentino, the ladylike collection was
influenced by the opera, with multicultural references and intricate
embroidery. The colour palette was notably darker than seasons hence,
but the gilded and appliquéd dresses made up for a lack of pretty pretty
pastels. It seems that Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli's
success at Valentino shows no signs of slowing.
Dries Van Noten has long been an insider favourite, and this
season the line is as 'wow' as it is wearable. Opening with burgundy
dresses adorned in poppies and ending with a procession of baroque
golden pieces, the collection feels truly fresh. Look out for those
metallic ruffles on the front row come Fall fashion week.
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
Transporting
audiences from the urban jungle to the rainforest canopy, this season's
designers appear to have a bout of jungle fever.
Inspired by
French artist Henri Rousseau, Christophe Lemaire's superlative Hermés collection offers an elegant take on
jungle floral. Alongside fluid printed pieces, signature buttery
leathers were interpreted in forest green, claret and sunset orange. The
runway was transformed into a vibrant jungle, embracing the Hermés
woman's adventurous side. A wild success, as far as we are concerned.
Moncler often pull out all the stops when it comes to setting, and this season
is no exception. For SS14, Giambattista Valli turned his attention to
urban Africa with a runway bedecked in vines and a soundtrack of roaring
sirens. Naturally, such a powerful setting wills the designer to
deliver something special, and Valli did just that with signature sleek
pieces in luxurious fabrics and contemporary prints.
ART ATTACK
If the Paris shows are anything to go by, SS14 is all about embracing your inner artiste.
Karl
Lagerfeld went beyond the conventions of
Chanel with a vibrant line abundant in
Pantone shades and pop-art detailing. In keeping with his vision,
Lagerfled decorated the Grand Palais with his own artwork, created over
the Summer in preparation for the show. The collection itself was
extensive and expressive, with artful craftsmanship and powerful poster
paint shades. Fashion and art have never been quite so entwined.
With
such hype surrounding her work, the industry always puts great pressure
on Phoebe Philo to deliver at Céline.
Following Winters' curiously chic laundry checks and fluted skirts, you
could be forgiven for expecting something a little more restrained this
season. With Céline, though, you should know to expect the unexpected.
Once again, Philo delivered a wholly unique collection, breaking new
ground for the high end Parisian house in seeking inspiration from
graffiti and global street culture.
A label plagued by
controversy, this season it appears that the house of Galliano is back with a vengeance. Taking
direction from Bill Gaytten, the Spring collection at Galliano has had
the fashion crowd abuzz. Standout pieces include neoprene skater dresses
in eye-popping shades, razor sharp suiting and futuristic visors by
Stephen Jones. The collection is youthful and directional with a
charming cartoon-ish palette.
FRONT ROW THEATRICS
Now for the main event: the front row theatrics.
No
stranger to drama, Jean-Paul Gaultier opted for a talent show themed performance. Models danced down the
runway, showcasing Gaultier's eccentric attire as a panel of judges held
up score cards. Witty frivolity at its finest, JPG always puts the fun
in fashion week.
There really is no stopping Kenzo now, and with a dominant presence
across the globe, this season designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon
chose to take a stand against overfishing. The aquatic influence was
crytal clear, with the runway situated parallel to a column of circular
fountains. The collection was full of creative, clever pieces with the
melted fish motif sure to pick up where this season's evil eye left off.
The
name on everyone's lips this PFW was Rick Owens. The American born designer is all about
challenging convention, but there was no preparing for his Vicious Women
show for SS14. Never before has a designer instructed his models to
look as ugly as possible on the runway, but, given the success of the
show, maybe more should. Ugly in theory, beautiful in practice, the
collection was modeled by a dance troupe of women with the most
incredible, strong bodies, each one bringing a new dimension to the
neutral draped pieces.
FUTURE CLASSICS
While on one hand you have the showmen, on the other you have the new icons, quietly confident in their own unique formula.
One
such example is, of course, Isabel Marant
The queen of insouciant Parisian cool, Marant is very much the woman of
the moment. This season Madame Marant went back to Bohemia, with lace
miniskirts, gypsy blouses and gilded lace-up gladiators. The show was
modern and sexy, brought up to date by lashings of leather and
tailoring. Instantly recognisable and wholly covetable, this collection
is sure to stand the test of time.
Alexander Wang's work at Balenciaga has been as criticised as it has
praised. It must be noted, though, that Wang is still finding his
footing: after all, he has some pretty big shoes to fill. For
Spring/Summer, Wang brought a touch of edge to classic Balenciaga
pieces, experimenting with innovative fabrics and textures for a minimal
but modern look. With each collection, he is subtly reinventing the
Parisian house, and this collection is full of promise.
For a
girlish take on timeless tailoring, look to Carven, where signature two-piece suits
were re-imagined in sugary organza.
MARC LEAVES HIS MARK
Following a decade at the
helm of Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs has
officially stepped down from his position at the Parisian powerhouse.
Quite possibly the busiest man in fashion, Marc Jacobs is leaving LV to
focus on his own eponymous brand. But what a way to go.
Jacobs is
undoubtedly leaving on a high, his collection serving as a
retrospective of his work at Vuitton to date. Showing in the dazzling
Carrée of the Louvre, the setting was a mélange of Jacobs' finest
moments, this time re-imagined in funereal black.
The models wore incredible black headdresses, each one a showgirl in this beautiful midnight carnival.
Hats- or headdresses- off to Marc on this one, he will be missed.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Nostalgia to one side, it is time to focus on what's next for fashion in Paris.
Though
London prides itself on emerging talent, Paris is not far behind, and
this season there are a number of new names to note.
Danish
designer Ilja presented a collection of
slick dresses, with the sateen charcoal minidress a particular
highlight. Similarly directional was Hexa by Kuho where sharp dresses were matched with sci-fi hair
styling.
The collection at Jacquemus was a little Alexander Wang, a
little Simone Rocha and a little Lacoste with futuristic tennis skirts,
pastel pink crop tops and crisp white plimsolls.
Ooh la la indeed.
