THE FIRST of the main shows for the 2011 winter prêt-à-porter season in Paris opened yesterday on a sunny day in a French capital calming down after the media storm surrounding John Galliano.
The Belgian designer Dries Van Noten staged his collection for the second time in one of the city’s most beautiful and historic buildings, the Hôtel de Ville, under the gilded and frescoed ceilings illuminated by enormous crystal chandeliers. His collection was a master class in patchwork and haute hippy chic, mixing prints, patterns and textures with the assurance and skill only the practised eye of an artist could have carried off successfully.
References were drawn from the worlds of art and ballet, leaping from cubist imagery to the Ballet Russes and the colourful daring costume designs of Leon Bakst. Van Noten called it “a dialogue between Ziggy and Diaghilev” given the backtrack of a reworked recording of David Bowie’s Heroes album. Coats, wrapped or tie belted, some with contrast lapels, were a swirl of marbled tweed or dark chain printed wool and the unfussy shapes allowed for the artful clash of bonsai, pop, ikat or feather motifs in all sorts of silks, brocades and wools.
It made for some handsome winter items, from a black and white Aran knit to a coat inset with one jewelled sleeve, all set off by terrific Plexiglas-heeled shoe boots in velvet, crocodile, python or multi-coloured leathers.
Art and fashion came together at Anne Valerie Hash’s show debuting her collaboration with Chinese artist Huang Zhi Yang using patterns from his artwork for splash-printed tops and skirts.
Otherwise the collection was all draped silks and velvets with a lot of emphasis on sloping shoulders, twisted trouser fronts and jackets with floppy revers. Loose and slouchy, the soft tailoring and soft colours lent everything a throwaway, modern look. Sloping shoulders, rather mannish suits and box-pleated schoolgirl skirts were the fare at Rochas, a prim and ladylike collection strangely accessorised with Amish-style cabled bonnets and astrakhan hats.
Dresses were plain if everyday in dark blue brocade or grey silk while others had odd lingerie ruching. But what oversize animal print coats had to do with Rochas heritage was anyone’s guess.