{"id":155130,"date":"2018-03-03T23:45:37","date_gmt":"2018-03-04T04:45:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=155130"},"modified":"2018-03-03T23:45:37","modified_gmt":"2018-03-04T04:45:37","slug":"victorian-button-up-meets-raw-punk-at-paris-fashion-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2018\/03\/03\/victorian-button-up-meets-raw-punk-at-paris-fashion-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Victorian button up meets raw punk at Paris Fashion Week"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Elie<\/a>
Elie Saab Fall 2018 Collection (Phot<\/a>o: Fashion Week in NYC, Milan, and Paris\/Facebook<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PARIS — The buttoned-up styles of the Victorian era have met their nemesis in the unbridled sexuality of British punk in contrasting shows at Paris Fashion Week.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the fall-winter highlights from the shows Saturday, which included Vivienne Westwood, Elie Saab and Junya Watanabe:<\/p>\n

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD GETS SAUCY<\/p>\n

The raw sexuality of British punk was on full display at Austrian designer Andreas Kronthaler’s show for Vivienne Westwood.<\/p>\n

Big red-white-and-blue carpets — in the colours of the Union Jack — led guests’ eyes up to the show’s decor of dismembered, upside-down mannequin legs. Three scantily-clad Goth ravers climbed up onto podiums around the runway as the show began and started to gyrate provocatively.<\/p>\n

The clothes channeled the punk styles that made Westwood’s name in the ’70s — but it was also a celebration of violent colour and couture.<\/p>\n

A diaphanous marbled pastel froufrou gown looked initially like a watercolour painting — until, on further inspection, the belt that consisted of adult toys came into focus.<\/p>\n

The model’s thick eyebrows evoked famed Italian porn star-turned-politician, La Cicciolina. She also had barbed wire covering her lips and wore kinky red lace-up boots.<\/p>\n

The eccentric collection included Arab-style headdresses that were given an urban reworking, as well as styles inspired by the 18th century.<\/p>\n

The best look? A giant flame red baroque tulle hat with a period fastening under the chin.<\/p>\n

Members of South African hip hop group Die Antwoord and rappers Ninja and Yolandi Visser applauded from the front row.<\/p>\n

——<\/p>\n

DEAR VIVIENNE: A LOVE LETTER TO WESTWOOD<\/p>\n

Instead of the program notes, Andreas Kronthaler left guests a photocopy of a touching love letter he’d written to his wife and design partner Vivienne Westwood, 76.<\/p>\n

The 65-year-old Austrian designer had handwritten the missive on blue Eurostar notepaper on Feb. 28 while travelling between London and Paris on the cross-Channel train.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear Vivienne. Heart. God how long have we known each other?\u201d it began, before listing all the fashion influences Westwood had exerted on him over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen in doubt: dress up! … These mantras of yours and so much more became part of my life and work. I still thank you to this day,\u201d it read.<\/p>\n

Kronthaler first met Westwood in 1988 and they wed in 1993. He had for a long time taken the role as a silent creative partner but took over officially as designer in recent years.<\/p>\n

Kronthaler ended it: \u201cLove you forever. Andreas.\u201d<\/p>\n

——<\/p>\n

ELIE SAAB’S VICTORIAN FASHION<\/p>\n

Elie Saab went to the \u201cdark romance\u201d of the Victorian era for inspiration for his brooding fall-winter offerings.<\/p>\n

The house produced a predominantly black collection of high necklines, statement bell and Juliette sleeves, defined shoulders and lots and lots and lots of ruffles.<\/p>\n

There was a delicacy to some of the fabrics and detailing such as in large velvet bows draped from collars inspired by the 19th-century paintings of France’s Auguste Renoir.<\/p>\n

Saab fused that covered-up era’s styles with an exploration of all things floral — and served it on his bread-and-butter design choice, cinched-waisted gowns.<\/p>\n

The collection, entitled \u201cWinter Bouquets,\u201d had blooms as prints, embroideries and appliques in white, blush, powder blue and burgundy.<\/p>\n

——<\/p>\n

JUNYA WATANABE GOES TOP HEAVY<\/p>\n

In a collection that took its vibe from the street, Junya Watanabe’s edgy collection went stylishly off-kilter.<\/p>\n

Oversize double-breasted suit jackets towered above floral leggings in an intentional effect that made the legs look like sticks. It was given greater resonance with large block-like sneakers and preppy socks.<\/p>\n

Elements of deconstruction — such as billowing sleeves that looked like pieces of fabric snipped away, or trench coats partially hidden in fur — demonstrated the skill that showed why the Japanese fashion designer was originally the protege of Comme des Garcons designer Rei Kawakubo.<\/p>\n

Bright reds and blues were then injected into the colour palette — such as in one statement trapeze-shaped raincoat and in one mushroom-shaped bubble jacket — giving the 41-piece show an on-trend ’80s vibe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PARIS — The buttoned-up styles of the Victorian era have met their nemesis in the unbridled sexuality of British punk …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":155131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[47594,16158,47593],"class_list":["post-155130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fashion-and-beauty","tag-british-punk","tag-paris-fashion-week","tag-victorian-era","mauthors-thomas-adamson","mauthors-the-associated-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155130\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}