collage created by me, with photos from Vogue Runway
The oversized trend appears, once again, at Rochas, but instead of following a masculine, utilitarian path, this collection followed a playful, adolescent, wearing your mom's clothes kind of look. But this time, the kids picked out the most out-there pieces, filled with floral and shimmery frocks with sleeves too long for their arms, multi-colored stockings too baggy for their legs, and platforms too high for their youthful gaits. The kids grow up through the show, however, by showing some skin, adding sophisticated fabrics such as velvet and silk, and wearing sheer evening gowns. Themes of femininity and lightness play throughout the entire show with the repetition of ruffles and complex prints, and it made us realize that fashion is so much better when it's not taken too seriously.
The McCartneys are a talented bunch. My first favorite musician (and concert at the early age of 10) is the father figure in all of this, so it's not surprising that Stella McCartney would fall into her father's shoes, just with a fashion line instead of a '60s pop band. "Bitch, I'm a vegan" and "get yo tofu on" rang through our ears as we saw an animal friendly collection that stayed true to Stella's vegetarian ways and the fitting lyrics of the songs. A juxtaposition of sporty, feather-free puffer jackets and metallic pleated details strutted down the runway, and icons of swans graced just about every type of clothing, whether it was a practical cotton blouse or an oversized maxi. It's pretty obvious that the McCartney daughter supports animal rights, and I'm not even a vegetarian, but seeing the mix of feminine details and gowns with relaxed knits and boxy pants makes the idea seem a lot more appealing.
The '70s are gone, the '80s are back. That's what Isabel Marant is trying to tell us, and patent leather and edgy silhouettes never looked better. This is a collection fit for Heathers and the British punk scene of the '80s. Shiny minis paired with ankle-length trenches (J.D. would come back to life just for that coat), frilly tops tucked under skin-tight leather pants, and even those tacky hairpieces worn at prom circa 1983 finished looks with plaid/leopard print jackets and zebra-print shoes. Sounds like a nightmare, but looks like a dream, if your dreams have The Cure playing on repeat. Start wrapping your dresses with huge belts, adding pins to your oversized coats, and wearing fishnets non-ironically because the '80s are back, baby.
Now that the new Chloé girl is inspired by Anne-France Dautheville, the woman that traveled through Europe and the Middle East on a motorbike, I would like to become a traveling-biker-girl ASAP, especially if wearing flowing frocks with leather pants and neck scarves is part of the deal. When inspirations as unique as this are so clearly stated, it truly shows through the clothing. That free-spirited nature of Dautheville emanated off of the practical leather boots and the structure of those gorgeous multicolored dresses. Masculine pants and zip-up jumpsuits can totally be feminine, because #girlpower (plus yesterday was International Women's day. How fitting). Chloé definitely made a statement, and it may have been the empowering female version of Kerouac's On the Road or a request to immediately leave our jobs and travel the world. Next time I travel, layering my dad's oversized pullovers over ruffled dresses and buying bandanas in bulk will be on my fashion to-do list, if I even have enough responsibility to create a list like that. That's what Dautheville's philosophy was all about, right? Live in the moment, or something of that nature.
There's a unique beauty and grace that comes from the purest forms of fashion, and Valentino perfectly captured that essence, unlike their last distasteful collection that attempted to culturally appreciate but unfortunately culturally appropriated (with 90% white models, of course). I've been angry at the brand ever since, until this new collection, where the ballerina in me (you learn something new about me everyday) is fan girling, internally squealing, physically crying at the pieces Valentino brought this season. In ballet, there's a certain type of poise and artistry that cannot be recreated in any other form, but of course Valentino recreated it with an impressive collection of 81 pieces filled with tulle inspired from tutus and the looks of a dancer that go on before, during, and after a rehearsal or performance. Dreamy gowns that look like they were pulled out of Swan Lake or The Nutcracker blended with looks that incorporate the simplicities of layering when it comes to a dancer, whether it's layering a velvet wrap dress over a thin turtleneck or throwing on a sweater over ballet tights and flats. A live pianist played melodies that allowed the ballet-bun clad models to dance across the runway, and at times it was perfect for an adagio (slow, graceful movements) or even a petit allegro (a series of small, staccato jumps). These movements strangely correlated with the clothing because there was a combination of gentle, delicate pieces with opposing looks filled with layered, intricate details. Unfortunately for Alessandro Michele I think Valentino won fashion month with this collection. I could go on for hours about how wonderful the show was, just like I could go on for hours about my love for ballet, but PFW must end somewhere and it ends on this note:
Fashion may just be clothing, but when clear inspirations are shown through the looks, an extra dimension is added, a layer of reason and beauty that gives the designs meaning and truth. This is obvious through all the shows from Paris, whether I reviewed them or not, and I guess this is the reason this week was so, well, inspiring. Ask me why I love fashion, and I'll simply give you my top five shows from PFW Fall/Winter 2016. So here's my farewell, my adieu, to this season's fashion month. Au revoir, my dear friend. Until September.
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