karl lagerfeld had his hands full this season. first in ny to present lagerfeld collection/karl, then to milan for the stellar fendi show. now, back in paris to present chanel, one may think kaiser karl would be tapped out of inspiration. not so, as the look was inspired by the go-go boot he showed during the couture collections. take the look up the leg, it became the base for the newly proportioned short tweed suit: longer jacket, shorter skirt. of course there were also numerous options for the chanel woman: lots of little black dresses, baby dolls in chiffon and lace layered over skinny trousers, short shift dresses, and longer flowy pantsuits. for night, there was also a mix of longer chiffon gowns with frayed trim and hanging ribbons and shorter one shoulder dresses.
over at yves saint laurent, stefano pilati was in a harder and sharper mood, replacing the femininity seen in his last few collections with a harder edge: lots of black, pvc trenches and leather blouses, fitted tunics worn over ankle length pants, and tweed tulip skirts and suits. as per usual, the waist remained a focal point, thick suede belts over coats, gold sashes and patent belts over tunics, and nipped in waists on skirts and dresses.
marc jacobs carried his grown up grunge theme to vuitton, but this time, it was more streamlined and not so “downtown” to match the his french company’s sensabilities. the off-kilter layering, chunky platform boots, and floppy hats were still there, but the fabrics were more luxurious (cashmere waffle knits, fur trimmed hoodies, wool herringbone) and the bags (being vuitton) were a more flashy: white fur trim, patent leather, embossed monograms and tortoise chain handles.
miuccia prada moved miu miu from milan to paris to “make it more special and important,” and by snagging the closing spot of the paris shows, she did just that. she also added couture touches to the clothes: photoprinted silks, angora knitwear, brocade dresses, and fur trimmed coats. mixed in with the girliness were military jackets, studded platform pumps and hiking boots, and mens-style cardigans.
