Calm Fire. Paco Rabanne AW16

March 5, 2016March 5, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Julien Dossena revamped Paco Rabanne into a contemporary brand, which does spark desire. And if talking of sparks, the collection had one, or two – literally, leather patches of flames were embroidered on midi skirts and satin tops, looking hot and untamed. But the Rabanne women has a much gentler side, too, and you could easily guess that thanks to floral tapestry jackets and dresses. The fur-lined reverse-coat in beige looked cosmic with the outer-space white boots and the minimal cool white-tanktop-and-black-pants had an androgynous, yet appealing energy about it. Although Dossena’s collections remind me of Helmut Lang-era rather than Paco Rabanne’s times, one thing’s sure – the creative director attempts (with a large success) to envision the wardrobe of a modern-day woman, just like Rabanne did back in the days.

Anne – France Dautheville. Chloé AW16

March 5, 2016August 24, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Clare Waight Keller, the creative director behind Chloé, knows what women want, and what the love. With her favourite, laid-back signatures, Clare revived the spirit of a Frenchwoman, Anne-France Dautheville, who travelled across Europe and Middle East on her motorcycle in the 70s. One of the looks was basically a motocross combo of a jacket and a pair of pants, styled with off-duty biker boots. With ecru foulards tied around necks, the girls wore the best-selling, ruffled silk and lace dresses, while the opening look was a voluminous, travel-forward poncho,. You can write and write about the beauty of each look separately, but one of the most remarkable (and simple at the same time) was Frederikke Sofie’s grey knit dress with elongated sleeves and a seductive v-cut neckline, which appears nearly everywhere this season. Her long, blond curls and this dress perfectly convey the message of this collection – feel free, in your life and when you travel. And you don’t need to be that Glastonbury girl in Hunter wellies to be one of those care-free souls… put your sweatshirt and bohemian skirt on, and GO!

Les Amours Perdus. Lemaire AW16

March 5, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Christophe Lemaire‘s utterly French outing for his autumn-winter 2016 wasn’t just about models, who presented the clothes. The girls at Lemaire show glanced at the audience in a naturally captivating way – as if they weren’t models, but women who wear Christophe’s seductive dresses, felt wool pants and low-heeled shoes on daily basis. Lemaire isn’t the type of designer who changes his attitude season-to-seaon. The approach stays always the same, with just a few additions to the line. This season, the chic wardobe of his Parisian, intellectual female (supposedly his life-parter, Sarah-Linh Tran?) was expanded by cable-knits and blouses with Elizabethan sleeves. V-neck, black dresses were effortlessly styled with these nostalgic shirts, while the sophisticated all-black looks were contrasted by curcuma yellow shoulder bags and voluminous pantalons. Your clavicles will surely love the feminine satin top, and the outerwear lovers will have an affair with the shearling jacket. The delicate braids and simple, red lipstick are the lifelong companions of a Lemaire woman – just like the clothes she loves so much.

Mankind Chic. Dries Van Noten AW16

March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Let Dries Van Noten teach what’s the definition of chic. It’s about decadence. Aristocratic suits, piqué shirts, gold lamé shoes, leopard-spot pantalons and the radiating soigné manner surrounding the smoky-eyed women. It’s a story reviving Marchesa Luisa Casati, the woman with her iconic pet-cheetahs obsession and a memorable collection of pearl necklaces. “She pushed decadence as a lifestyle, but was never happy” – indeed, the collection was shrounded in melancholic mystery. The masculine coats, celebrating Casati’s lover Gabriele D’Annunzio, and white shirts tucked in tweed pants were all about Dries’ imaginary woman, who shares her man’s wardrobe and reads, maybe, books about existence. The acid-green dress, worn by the one and only Molly Bair, had a sharp V-cut – quite unusual to see at Van Noten, who is rather into boyish elegance. But still, it felt infinitely him. From the very Parisian, velvet gowns to sexy pajamas the clients of the label have dozens of reason to shop here next season – and the fans, like me, will surely put this collection on the “autumn-winter 2016 favourites” list.

Bravo, Dries.

Generation’s Wardrobe. Y / Project AW16

March 3, 2016December 14, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Just after reviewing Koché, Y / Project is the next clear prove that Paris looks forward to labels found by new-gen talents, and those who made the cut in the LVMH Prize Awards. Ideas proposed by Glenn Martens blur between the terms feminine and masculine, but also, reflect on the generations’ love for Scream Queens pastel-pink trashiness, Cher’s good, old looks and this neo-goth, neo-grunge mood (which appears repeatedly this season). To an extend, the collection reminds me of Vetements, with its focus on denim (here, it’s all about the slouchy, elongated length of pants as seen above) and a kind of anti-fashion attitude. But you can’t compare Glenn Martens’ label to the fashion collective lead by Demna Gvasalia – the philosophies of these two brands are totally different, just like the approach. At Y / Project, drama plays a role – bishop sleeves worn loosely with pencil skirts; sheer robes with ruff-like collars ooze with ethereal elegance, but with a modern-day twist. The list of must-haves keeps adding up, and curiosity of what’s to come at Y / Project makes me wonder.