Models walk the runway during the John Galliano ready-to-wear Spring/Summer 2011 show during Paris fashion weekPascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
A wave of photographers and camera crews sweeps across the expanse of the Tuileries Gardens. In the eye of the storm is the blond, bobbing head of Kate Moss, making her way toward the big tent. Inside, Dior's John Galliano has concocted his own tropical weather patterns in the form of Hawaiian flower prints, flirty little dresses and a barrage of sporty, sailor-style garments. With a decaying Victorian pier as runway backdrop , the designer, citing South Pacific and 1950s pin-up girl Bettie Page as inspiration, unveils a steamy, sexy and playful collection that heralds spring's new optimism.
"This is our job in fashion," says Dior president Sydney Toledano. "No matter what, we have to create fantasies for women." And when those fantasies are appealing, wearable and practical, it's particularly joyful. While there may not have been anything groundbreaking about Captain Galliano's seafaring collection, it struck a positive chord. "These are exactly the kinds of things I want to pack in my suitcase and run away to some island with," Lou Doillon shares post-show. "It should always be about feeling good," says Galliano. "That's why women come to us." For his own eponymous label, presented days later at the Opéra Comique, the designer went in a disparate romantic direction, dishing out a seductive array of delicacies based on Paris's art scene in the twenties.
At Givenchy, meanwhile, Riccardo Tisci's collection for the house was highly sensual, mostly in black and white with splashes of leopard and featuring a plethora of sheer full-length skirts worn with various degrees of layering. The looks were topped off with assorted vests and edgy jackets fraught with studded leather straps, buckles and zips galore, making for an interesting juxtaposition of delicacy and the dark side. Courtney Love, Liv Tyler and Lily Allen cheered on Tisci's efforts from the front row.
While the Italian designer may not have broken new ground either, pushing style boundaries is on the rise. Rick Owens, the brilliant American ex-pat who decamped to France eight years ago, put an arresting regal spin on the coming season by going for haute drama. His architectural monochromatic dresses and gowns were theatrical, yet maintained an air of minimalism. Big stand-up collars and draped backs added a sense of extreme elegance. Owens' models looked like gorgeous aliens in huge wedge shoes with tulle ruffles around their ankles and mega horn combs adorning their sleek hairdos.
Another American designer, Zac Posen, also went out on a limb by making his Paris debut - something he had been dreaming about for years. "Yohji Yamamoto inspired me to show here," Posen reveals. "He's been a mentor to me." The designer's colourful clothes are light years away from anything the legendary Yamamoto is famous for, but Zac, according to his mentor, has the kind of "natural charisma" that belongs in the City of Light. Unfortunately, Zac's spirited vision for the season was mostly panned by critics. Inspired by the likes of Diana Vreeland and Lady Gaga, he celebrated the late 1970s with a joie de vivre collection that was blatantly sensual and over the top, incorporating lots of feathers, slinky mesh gowns, a smattering of skinny pants and some textured jackets. It could have been a case of trying to do too much. A few more seasons in Paris should give Zac the sophistication needed to go up against the best.
"I was watching the girls more than the clothes," Sting, backstage at Roland Mouret, admits. The pop star accompanied his wife, Trudie Styler, to Mouret's show, which was one of the week's strongest. The designer's geometric cuts are innovative, modern and ultimately elegant. Cream, aqua, navy, chartreuse and khaki made for a sophisticated palette, while a touch of hand-painted silk punched up the romance. Soft draping and loose, cropped pants made for easy flow. A black silk cropped-pant jumpsuit with a strappy back gave new meaning to chic sexy edge. "I have to keep forcing myself to think outside the box," Mouret explains afterward. "This season, I experimented with volume. That's always the most challenging thing: to re-imagine what you've already done and take it to new places."
It was fascinating to watch Lanvin's Alber Elbaz at the rehearsal for his show. Minutes before the doors opened, he was facing a dilemma about which direction to take with shoes - high-heeled or flat? He went for flat at the 11th hour. "They just felt right - modern," he says later. Elbaz is one of fashion's best-loved designers and his collections consistently garner raves. "He understands women and what sensuality is all about," notes Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann, Isabella Rossellini's model daughter. "His clothes are so easy to wear." Jade Jagger, the daughter of another stylish icon, concurs. "He has this affinity with women," she enthuses. "He knows what we want, and translates it perfectly." There were myriad looks in the Lanvin offering, from body-conscious pleated cocktail dresses that fit like a second skin to flowing silk print pieces that oozed exotica. Oversized nylon raincoats made a dramatic yet practical statement; long, flowing pleated chiffon skirts hit the right romantic note. There were even some flashy pieces, boldly studded in silver, for those craving overt glamour.
"These are clothes you can eat in!" former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell quips as she shows off the roomy black and white Viktor and Rolf romper she has on. But it's the Dutch design duo's artistic approach to fashion that impresses fans the most. This go 'round, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren riffed on the classic men's shirt. The exercise started with panache - shredded strips of blue and then coral chiffon appliquéd onto immense white shirts. Then the femininity crept in, with details like puffed sleeves and long flowing tails. Shirts, many of them striped, morphed into dresses as the evening fabrications of organza and silk took over. The collection built up to a glorious crescendo with spectacular white sculptural gowns comprising the grand finale. "They have a great eye for couture, but they also understand commercial viability," says Diesel founder Renzo Rosso, who gave Viktor and Rolf his savvy vote of confidence when he bought a controlling stake in the company a couple of years ago.
If the big business of fashion has taught designers anything, it's that they have to not only tread the precarious line between art and commerce but consistently woo women with poetry, playfulness and practicality. Jean Paul Gaultier usually strikes gold on all three fronts and this time was no exception. His invitation came with 3D glasses and hinted at a play on size. Sure enough, it was larger-than-life Arkansas native Beth Ditto, of the indie rock band Gossip, who opened Gaultier's show. And the crowd went wild. While it wasn't the first time the designer included a full-figure model in his show, his nod to diversity comes at a time when snobbery in fashion is finally dissipating. (Marc Jacobs recently announced that he'll be doing a plus-size line next spring.) Although Gaultier has yet to announce such a line, many of the pleated looks in this collection could easily be worn by a woman of any shape, he says. Inspired by eighties rock chicks like Joan Jett and Nina Hagen, Gaultier's punky parade featured girls in short shaggy hairdos sporting wildly graphic 3D prints. Silhouettes ran the gamut, from tight and trim to relaxed and fluid, with extreme peaked shoulders on fitted jackets, flowing pleated silk trench coats, delicate, frothy chiffon print dresses and voluminous sexy jumpsuits and rompers. Heels were high for the most part, some in dazzling red and silver, with thick ankle straps for added edge. There were alluring harem pants, sultry lace/denim combinations and even a metal bustier. Ultimately, though, Gaultier says it's all about personality: "I wanted to celebrate not only these great rock women from the past, but all women who are comfortable in their own skin."
Jeanne Beker is the host of FashionTelevision.
Next week: The best of the rest, including Stella McCartney, Chanel, Valentino and Louis Vuitton.