Lagerfeld predicts a grey winter

Tag : Smocked Dresses
Lagerfeld predicts a grey winter

1 day ago

PARIS (AFP) — Karl Lagerfeld's backdrops for his collectionsfor Chanel are usually a witty reference to the house's emblems,but his choice of gleaming grey columns for his haute couture showon Tuesday was enigmatic.

Was it Japanese zen or installation art, people wondered?

Thundering organ music in the sound track appeared to be a clue -and the designer confirmed after the show that he had been inspiredby the pipes of a recently restored great organ in a Paris concerthall.

The decor dictated the lack of colour in his haute couturecollection for next autumn-winter, he explained. "There is just aspash of pink. Otherwise it is all in half tones."

For day or night, his palette ran the gamut of greys from pearl andplatinum to steel and anthracite.

His new silhouette involved a smocking effect round the waist. Thelong-line jackets of his dayside suits billowed out at the back,ending only just above the knee-length skirts. Collars set backfrom the neck and elbow length sleeves prevailed for satin cocktailoutfits and a dressy little coat in black chevrons spangled withgold sequins.

House signature flecked tweeds were glammed up with ostrichfeathers, also worn as delicate bracelets attached to pearls at thewrist.

Grand ball gowns in charcoal and pale grey taffeta had scoops offaux camelias slung in the back, or outsize cartwheel sleeves andfish tails.

But some frocks that looked as if they had been constructed from apiping with semi-detached sleeves held up by tiny straps, struck anodd note.

The audience sweltered as the sun beating down on the glass roof ofthe Grand Palais turned it into a giant greenhouse, in ironiccontrast to last year when the show was held outside and a violentrainstorm turned the venue into a sea of mud.

After the monochromes of Chanel, Christian Lacroix's collectionglowed with vibrant colour, from the acid lemon of a stiff faillecoat, to the arabesque of ruby thread embroidery running down theside of opaque black hose or the magenta jacket overlaid with blacklace of his matador's outfit.

Models had their hair pinned up into punkish mohican styles,reminiscent of military plumed helmets, while their faces were halfhidden by dainty black lace masks like mini mantillas.

The opening sequence of corsetted jackets with boning and velvetfacing was inspired by the armour-plated carapaces of insects.

A double-breasted white mini coat with brushstrokes of carmine redhad jewel buttons as big as teacups, while sleeves were often thesize of balloons.

Evening gowns were all flounces, ruffles and tiers, with swathes ofprecious fabric scrunched up or knotted and held in place withribbons or bows, in dramatically striking silhouettes that lookedboth contemporary and as if they could have stepped off a 17thcentury Spanish painting.

Everything dripped with jet, whether as heavy necklaces andpendants shaped like incense burners or as over-embroidery onfragile lace, providing a sharp contrast to Lacroix' palette ofdusty pastels, almond green, parma and candy pink.

While many of his creations look extremely complicated, Lacroixinsisted to AFP before the show that "there are always things thatcan be removed" to make his designs more accessible -- andcommercial.

His summary of his look for next autumn-winter was "short and sexybut well-bred."