PARIS — It was a blur of events and some shows during Paris Fashion Week, the time of the year when buyers, journalists, bloggers and movie stars gather in front of a catwalk to peruse next season’s fashion trends. Anna dello Russo and Diane Pernet were in Gareth Pugh, as were Rick Owens and other high-profile stars of the fashion world. Lindsay Lohan was in the club Le Baron one evening and Raspoutine the next, surrounded by a posse.
At Gareth Pugh, frames and windowpanes enveloped the models, if not in the edges of a shirt, then in cutout squares that looked light on the body. Models were encased in hard forms, making them look objectified and stilted. Several dark themes on a movie screen played behind, including fire, and minutes later, dark gowns emerged with pointed black plastic masks at the head. As if following a cult, there were robes that flowed behind, following a leader.
Sharon Wauchob, meanwhile, showed pretty lace ensembles, fragile dresses in black and the occasional spring color. Jackets that would work anywhere, cropped and slightly draped, rounded out the looks. Backless and spaghetti/string backs were evident in the show, as they were in Luis Buchinho’s, which extended the string-look into silk drawstring pants all the way up the leg. Jackets were printed with trees from the tropics, in summery pastel colors.
Anne Valerie Hash’s signature relaxed draping was paired with more tailored jackets and pants, and struck a very wearable balance. Orange and blues were the themed colors, and the last looks’ flowing chiffon trains summed up a trend seen in other runways, such as Peachoo and Krejberg’s. The duo’s show also included a showing of red, in dresses and in beaded fringe on a white jacket. Fringe and stringy backs were seen on several dresses, which also included draped fabrics— these somehow looked complicated in one ensemble. Yellow was another color of the day.
Amaya Arzuaga’s graphic lines, such as a black stripe in the middle of a white dress, was toned down in slightly shiny sheer dresses perfect for the summer. A light blue dress looked like a pretty cloud.
In the midst of the ready-to-wear was a breather: Yiqing Yin’s couture clothing in a special presentation in Galeries Lafayette. The Chinese designer showed her first couture collection last couture season; she intends to come out with her first collection of pret-a-porter in next season’s shows. Yin talked about her technique, most of which are done by hand, including what looked like perfect tears on a black gauze-y dress. “I learned just by experimenting,” she said. Draped and ruched dresses, formed and intricate, included dresses with simpler forms but were adorned with Swarovski crystals that looked like shards of ice. Her favorite dress was on display in the store window: a black gown with Swarovski crystals.
Several events took place in the evenings such as the launch of Kriss Van Assche’s Londerzeel magazine, Numero 2. The event included a film of the designer’s 2012 collection, directed by Joost Vanderbrug, called A Moment in Time. A few days later, in the same venue, was the launch of Tod’s Signature Collection in Paris. In bright blue, red, and a creamy white, the collection offered soft but structured pieces. A video installation showed an important brand icon: the bottom of the original Tod’s driving shoe — back when the brand was still called JP Tod’s.
Hogan by Karl Lagerfeld, in the meantime, also showed textured bags, and easy flat shoes for every day. It was the designer’s third collaboration with the brand. The handheld clutches were simple and functional; the trench coats were just as easy to use. All the items were in black and white.