balenciaga was THE collection of s/s 06. after a stellar f/w show, nicolas ghesquiere upped the ante with a collection that referenced the balenciaga archives: cool, white 60s pod dresses, skinny rock star pants and jackets in thick black and white stripes and brocades, and baroque victorian jackets with balloon skirts in layers and layers of silk organza. and to juxtapose the sleek and ornate clothes, the shoes were chunky heel sandals, in tan suede, black and white leather, and silver metallic.
john galliano used the nude and black lace dress he designed for the haute couture show as a starting point for the dior collection. from there, he reimagined the dress in every way, from slim trousers to tulle dresses and stretch cotton coats to tube swimsuits with boy briefs. from there the silhouette was redone in crystal embroidery, outlining the body on flowy chiffon dresses and bustiers, and finally ending up in beautiful ombre silks, dyed tan to pink and nude.
rochas designer olivier theyskens kept moving the house by introducing something new: trousers. as part of skinny pantsuits in crinkled fabric, the pants continued the edwardian theme he started with the f/w collection, with more long dresses in spring solids and watercolor prints. for evening, the suits loosened slightly, and appeared in shiny fabrics, trumpted skirts and slit to there tops
