PARIS FASHION week drew to a close yesterday as the last of the catwalk shows, notably Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, played out their final themes for autumn/ winter 2008.
It may be easy to conclude that grey is the colour of the season, that tweed is everywhere, that the silhouette is either rounded and fitted or graphic and linear and that footwear is still high, blocky and patent. That said, some collections make such strong individual statements that trend predictions seem irrelevant.
Jacobs, one of the most copied designers in the world, sent out models that looked like tamer versions of whirling dervishes with their voluminous circular skirts, Turkish trousers and tall black hats.
Jacobs outlined the modern hourglass shape in skirts with hitched folds on the hips or stiffly shaped coats in cold colours such as ice blue, stone, lavender or grey. Tight little cashmere sweaters and hefty platform shoes counterbalanced the new Ottoman proportions.
Another gifted maverick is Alexander McQueen.
Playing court to British history, his collection, with its taut neo- Edwardian corseting, Victorian S-bend shapes and decorative regalia complete with crown jewels and orbs, was a salute to empire. As costume drama it made for great theatrical spectacle, but what caught the eye were punkish yet graceful ballerina dresses in black mohair moulded over thick tulle skirts.
Royal blue and red were the chosen colours of Martin Grant, a Paris-based Australian couturier whose most high-profile client is the impeccably elegant socialite Lee Radziwill (75), sister of the late Jackie Kennedy. Grant's high- collared caped coats, pinch-thin sheaths and inky Chinese brocade parkas had predictable upscale urban polish.
Paul & Joe, on the other hand, is a successful French brand popular with Irish buyers for its smart streetwise clothes such as slouchy trousers and pussy-bow blouses for modern city girls.
At Hermes, where Jean Paul Gaultier continues to crack the whip, spicy oriental colours saturated this lovely collection. A long Persian carpet provided the catwalk, patchworked suede trimmed a jacket and carpetbag prints decorated fringed skirts and high boots.
Hermes doesn't do futuristic shapes, but rides out each season with luxurious leathers, subtle prints and, naturellement, yet another variation of the signature Kelly bag.