Posts Tagged ‘Paris Fashion Week’

J’aime mon Carré

Aug. 19th 2010 by Mariana Davelaar (editor)

If you’ve ever received a silk scarf, chances are you’ve wondered how to wear it particularly those of the square variety. Well, wonder no more: Enter J’aime Mon Carré, or in English, “I Love My Scarf.”

A series of street-style shots akin to The Sartorialist or Art of the Trench, the newest Polaroid-bordered fashion snaps are curated via an unlikely source: Hermès (yes, of the $80,000 handbag).

The storied French fashion house has had a bit of a reboot, now appealing to a younger crowd and taking their styling tips, too. Every photo features an inventive, out-of-the-box way to wear the designer silk square.

Marketing ploy or pure art? Most likely a little bit of both, as the site was launched to introduce a limited-edition line of scarves that will be offered at Colette in Paris in September just in time for Paris Fashion Week.

Alexander McQueen’s final collection

Mar. 17th 2010 by Mariana Davelaar (editor)

In a somber Paris presentation, opera music played in the background as an intimate group of editors and buyers gathered to view Alexander McQueen’s final collection. Held in the gilded salon of Francois Pinault’s headquarters, the 16-piece offering was 80% finished when the designer took his own life a month ago. It was completed by his team.

McQueen referred to the collection as “Angels and Demons” in tweets just weeks before his death. Inspired by Medieval art, the models had banded heads and severe nude faces reminiscent of Madonnas and Byzantine royals. The Dark Ages were reinterpreted in the form of cape-like coats and short drop-waist pleated dresses, with tapestry bodices in rich regal fabrics like red, ivory and gold.

The designer’s usual attention to detail was impeccable. He took digital photographs of Bosch demons and church angels and translated them into woven jacquard prints. Gold embroidery embellished nearly every piece but on a rich red dress the effect was staggering. The clothes were couture-like, which is a common association McQueen’s show pieces, but given circumstances it made for an emotional display.

The Alexander McQueen label will carry on without the namesake designer, it will never be the same. It was a bittersweet ending to an iconic career.

Paris Fashion Week: Viktor & Rolf

Mar. 10th 2009 by Sarah van der Steege (former Author)

The successful Dutch designer duo Viktor & Rolf showed their collection at the Paris Fashion Week. Just like earlier seasons, their show was different from other designers. This time Viktor & Rolf let the models stride on the catwalk looking like sculptures. Each garment was made in a crystal shape en looked like it was made of stone. The model’s faces were painted white, so they looked like they escaped from a museum. The collection for fall 2009 was based on classical draping. Dresses were folded en showed a lot of frills and knots.

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