{"id":232961,"date":"2019-09-30T02:35:45","date_gmt":"2019-09-30T06:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=232961"},"modified":"2019-09-30T02:35:45","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T06:35:45","slug":"valentino-channels-powerful-simplicity-in-paris-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/09\/30\/valentino-channels-powerful-simplicity-in-paris-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Valentino channels powerful simplicity in Paris show"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A less-is-more philosophy at Valentino had celebrity guests, including American singer Camila Cabello and model Naomi Campbell, vigorously applauding. (File Photo: Valentino\/Facebook)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PARIS \u2014 A less-is-more philosophy at Valentino had celebrity guests, including American singer Camila Cabello and model Naomi Campbell, vigorously applauding.<\/p>\n

While at Givenchy, \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d star Maisie Williams looked very much the part, arriving in denim at a collection that celebrated the world’s most famous blue cotton fabric twill.<\/p>\n

Here are some of Sunday’s Paris Fashion Week highlights:<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

VALENTINO’S POWERFUL SIMPLICITY<\/p>\n

\u201cBy subtracting colour, shape and volumes come to the fore,\u201d Pierpaolo Piccioli said.<\/p>\n

With this mantra, the Italian Valentino designer composed a refined and thoughtful opus for spring that took the storied house in a more focused direction than last season’s chunky butterfly embroideries.<\/p>\n

Here, the designs blossomed via their simplicity in white and eye-popping colour with flashes of gold.<\/p>\n

The first looks were all white.<\/p>\n

Voluminous white shirt-dresses served as a tabula rasa, a blank canvas, which Piccioli then adorned with delicate gold jewelry, such as a round necklace with a figurative bird pendant.<\/p>\n

At times, the shirts’ high collars and starched feel felt ecclesiastical, while their voluminous sleeves almost angelic.<\/p>\n

The collection maintained this arresting simplicity throughout, even when bright colour was explored in an electric lime silk gown with a beautiful floor-length trapeze silhouette. It was gently ruched at the collar with a 1970s necktie detail, and was worn by a makeup-less model who resembled a divinity with myriad gold sequins around the eyes.<\/p>\n

For spring, Piccioli took us to heaven.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

CHIRAC MEMORIAL PROMPTS CREATIVE MEANS OF TRANSPORT<\/p>\n

The house of Valentino, whose Sunday show was staged inside the grounds of Les Invalides, sent out a flurry of messages to guests alerting them to traffic concerns and to arrive extra-early.<\/p>\n

The warnings were sent because Les Invalides was also the site of a public ceremony on Sunday afternoon in memoriam of former French President Jacques Chirac who recently died.<\/p>\n

The thousands-strong lines of mourners, multiple police cordons and snaking traffic encouraged normally cab-hailing fashion insiders to resort to creative means of transport.<\/p>\n

One bicycle-riding editor in an impractical, long layered designer dress wore eccentric ankle clips to stop her look catching in the chain.<\/p>\n

Some others simply walked kilometres from the previous show in the drizzle.<\/p>\n

But the most popular option seemed to be one of the newest forms of transport taking Paris Fashion Week by storm: Rent-a-scooters. Companies such as Lime have capitalized on the mayhem and offered fashion week guests special offers for their services for the duration of the season.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

FADED PAST MEETS DENIM AT GIVENCHY<\/p>\n

In a more commercially minded collection than usual, British designer Clare Waight Keller’s mission statement was to merge a \u201ctough urban energy\u201d with the \u201cpatina of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faded denim \u2014 of which the show invitation was fashioned \u2014 provided the urban edge in loose and frayed cropped pants or a funky boho skirt with inset fabric, while historic gowns in brightly colored 18th century prints referenced the styles of a bygone era.<\/p>\n

But much of the diverse 63-piece collection didn’t fit these themes. Instead, they channeled a wearable \u2014 and sometimes play-it-safe \u2014 ’70s vibe that recalled Waight-Keller’s days at the design helm of Chloe.<\/p>\n

There were stylish moments: For example, the kick on heavy pleated floor-length silk skirts that sometimes peeked out \u2014 boho style \u2014 from beneath low hanging tops.<\/p>\n

Balloon sleeves and retro scarf necklines, meanwhile, added to this season’s inescapable fixation with all things ’70s.<\/p>\n

The pieces de resistance came at the end as trapeze-silhouette gowns merged historic Persian-inspired prints with fashion-forward acid hues of electric green, cobalt and brilliant azure.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

THOM BROWNE’S WINTER GARDEN<\/p>\n

A snow-covered garden, frozen white wilting roses and tiny white birds suspended in the air resembling snowflakes provided the backdrop as showman Thom Browne transported guests to an off-season winter wonderland to showcase his spring-summer collection.<\/p>\n

Though it was lost on guests if the imaginative presentation was a comment on climate change, the inventive styles made a statement of their own.<\/p>\n

Browne injected his trademark contradictions onto his tight bread-and-butter suit styles.<\/p>\n

Giant bowling shoes redesigned as dolphins led on to truncated shells of crinolines.<\/p>\n

These historic garments cut a surreal silhouette when placed below a striped skirt-suit with dolphin motifs, with the skirt was hoisted up to the bust.<\/p>\n

The skeletal crinolines were then fleshed out as the show progressed with layers of tweed fabric evoking Marie Antoinette or perhaps the Snow Queen.<\/p>\n

Large blond and dark wigs added to the queenly vibe \u2014 accessorized with an occasional tulle veil in a nod to bridal couture.<\/p>\n

Browne continues to redefine Paris Fashion Week with displays that are as much about the visual concept as they are the ready-to-wear.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

SCHIAPARELLI’S TROPES OF DISPLACEMENT<\/p>\n

There have been fits and starts since the famed house of Elsa Schiaparelli \u2014 the archrival of Coco Chanel \u2014 was relaunched some six years ago.<\/p>\n

Now, with designer Daniel Roseberry in place, the house associated with couture took one more trepidatious step into ready-to-wear.<\/p>\n

The outcome left guests inside the Place Vendome presentation smiling.<\/p>\n

This season plunged into the universe of the eccentric house founder, who, the brand informed guests, once swallowed flower seeds to try to become a flower as a little girl.<\/p>\n

This naivety and playfulness were apparent in all of the 20 looks: From a beautifully-proportioned signature shocking pink geometric pant suit, to a soft jacket with an eye-popping yellow and orange fringe.<\/p>\n

The designs were mainly structured and sophisticated with hints of Surrealism. (Elsa was friends with Salvador Dali.)<\/p>\n

A thick snaking serpent in gold made for a standout necklace, and the house said it had scanned human hair, pool tiles, and even brown paper bags in order to print them all on silk satin.<\/p>\n

Roseberry said he channeled \u201cSurrealist tropes of displacement … the everyday and prosaic meeting the exquisite and rare.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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