some quick paris hits:
karl lagerfeld returned to paris after his new york experiment and returned to making chic, very parisian clothes with a hint of the 80s. working in mainly white, black and navy, he sent out short shift with puffy sleeves, tie necklines, and dropped waistlines, slim high waist pants with thick patent belts, military style shirts, and spaghetti strap camisoles. the end section of layered chiffon gowns with ruffles and braided straps in dusty purple and black was beautiful.
valentino does what he does best: flirty dresses with lace, sequin, ruffles, bows and tiers, sophisticated suiting, and dazzling red carpet gowns. he also showed some flashes of youth, with flippy short dresses, see-through lace panels, silk short shorts with sequined jackets, and lace trim slip dresses.
stella mccartney has had a few successful collections, but this is not one of them. the colors and some of the sihouettes were interesting: cool blues and greens, crisp whites, nudes, and blacks on short halter shifts, lame and silk tank dresses, relaxed suits with high waist trousers, and floaty shirtdresses with full sleeves. however, the onesies and bloomer bikini bottoms seemed clumsy, and the herve leger-inpired pieces and the heavy beaded minidresses were out of step with the rest of the collection.
