Raf Simons veered confidently toward the retro-futuristic for Christian Dior‘s Resort 2014, in a subtle exploration of the chrome-inflected sleekness that epitomized mid-century automotives.
It was no coincidence that his models walked in Monaco, home to one of France’s most storied raceways.
During his tenure at Bottega Veneta, Tomas Maier has worked to consistently evolve the brand’s age-old legacy of exquisitely executed handcraft and Resort ’14 proved no exception
The Fall fashion “season” may have technically concluded with last week’s Paris shows, but one young New York designer begs to differ.
After years of stops and starts, new designers and relaunches, billionaire entrepreneur Goga Ashkenazi became the sole proprietor of Vionnet at the end of 2012. And while she’s not a designer by trade, she has installed herself as the house’s creative director, bringing on a team of designers to assist in making her ideas a reality.
If Prada was a nod to old Hollywood’s leading ladies then Miu Miu was for her sporty little sister.
Aurélie Bidermann‘s fall collection was inspired by nature, and even more so than usual. The designer used real gingko leaves to create her intricate gold necklaces, and bakelite to mimic old ivory. “I’m being ethical,” she said of the new technique in her Paris atelier. It sure looked authentic—and very Morocco in the early 1970s. (Bianca Jagger and Talitha Getty served as muses.)
For Marc Jacobs, it’s all about bedroom dressing. He started his fall 2013 journey at a glam rock pajama party and ended it in a boudoir. Jacobs’s sepia-hued New York collection began with satin pajama jobs and high-waisted bloomers. His Louis Vuitton effort, showing on Wednesday in Paris, closed with sheer playsuits, floral housecoats, and Kate Moss in an elegant, body-hugging slip. The only thing missing was a post-coital cigarette.
If you were to judge a label purely by its front row than Giambattista Valli was already looking good before the show started. Farida Khelfa, the new face of the still-to-be-launched Schiaparelli label, and embodiment-of-chic Inès de La Fressange were sitting next to each other, role models for aging gracefully.
“I love to get obsessed with things and afterwards change extremely while keeping my identity,” said Pedro Lourenco of fall 2013′s move away from pink, the dominate color in his spring collection.
For fall, Lourenco‘s inspirations were certainly more ambitious.
Sarah Burton sent only 10 looks down the runway today–but she packed a LOT into those 10 looks. It’s hard to say anything was lacking with such a stunning collection (and we weren’t even there).
Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli might have cited paintings by the Flemish masters and “Calvinist simplicity” as inspirations for their fall 2013 collection–but we couldn’t help thinking of the Brothers Grimm.
It’s difficult to build a luxury brand from scratch. Especially in this decade, when conglomerates rely on century-old names to plump their bottom lines, and out-of-the-box talents like Nicolas Ghesquiere and Christian Lacroix are seen as challenge to retailers rather than a blessing.
But after two years and six seasons, socially conscious luxury label Maiyet is carving out a commendable niche for itself in the crazy world of fashion and retail.
