Message from Paris: Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2011

Gentle Reader -

Whether or not you liked any of the collections from last week's haute couture presentations, what was really registered was direction. That much was clear in the shapes and colors.

Gone are the days when collections tried to strike the balance between client preferences and trends - last week was all about trend.

Layering and draping in mostly pale colors, yes. Exquisite workmanship, yes. Dominance of pants, yes.

Despite geopolitical events, haute couture was intent on sticking to its own message that it is still relevant to fashion.

And a quick nod to Alexis Mabille, who presented two delicate options for summer: one in white, and a variation in blue and pink.

- AP

Mid-18th Century Chic

Gentle Reader -

Clothing from the mid-18th century still has the power to impress the modern day with its sense of grace and proportion.

There is a remarkable balance in this example: none of the severity of earlier in that century, and certainly none of excesses later.

From the collection of the V&A.

- AP

Jimmy Choo: Fashion from the Ground Up

Gentle Reader -

Many thanks to a fashionista who shares my passion for shoes that are just, well, ultimate. Yes, these shoes are Jimmy Choo, but that's not quite the point.

Where does fashion begin? At the neckline? The waist? Fabric? Color?

It can begin from any starting point, so let us consider starting from the ground up, that is: starting with the shoes.

Commonly, shoes are something that are chosen after the dress is selected.

Yawn.

Very last century.

What if one started with the shoes? What would then be the dress?

The collection?

A thought to consider as the round of A/W 2011-2012 shows continue.

- AP

postscript: for those who love shoes, please admire the curve of the cutouts and the paring of the shades of gold.

The Copy: Before Big Fashion

Gentle Reader -

Once upon a time, people either made their own clothing or knew someone who could do it for them. It was a time when Givenchy and Dior were independent couture houses, headed by Hubert and Christian (respectively). Today of course, both houses are divisions under LVMH.

This was also the last era of the copy, the "direct from Paris" look, translated by thousands of women (Chita Rivera sings "a copy of a copy of a copy of Dior" in the movie, "Sweet Charity") for themselves, friends or clients. Even the great Carmel Snow came from this background. (Mrs. Snow is not as well known now, but that's for another post.)

In other words: the tradition of making clothes has almost left us. For those who are passionate about making clothes, perhaps it is time that we get a bit more serious than what the "hobby" magazines would have us believe.

Case in point: this Nina Ricci pattern still works within our current modes of dress. It's not vintage, but rather a classic that can be made today. But let us be clear that there is a difference between a copy, as used in this sense, and pirating, which is altogether something else.

Hint for the next post: dressing up from the ground.

- AP

Men's Fashion Then - 18th Century Redux

Gentle Reader -

The man pictured is obviously of today, but in clothing that harks back to the 18th century. While an all-silver theme would have been out of the question back then, note the sense of proportion, and a certain spirit that does not speak to our corporate work realities.

A reminder that clothing speaks to not only our tastes, but also outlines the very foundations of what we signify as meaningful.

- AP

Feathers: Decorous, Delightful!

Gentle Reader -


Though haute couture is, to paraphrase Patsy Stone (actress Joanna Lumley's AbFab character), kept alive only by embalming fluid, the traditional arts of wearable decoration still have much to teach us.

Take for example this Maori cape on display at the British Museum: the level of detail, of knowledge, needed to create this is quite astounding.

Despite the pressures of modern fashion, where trend supplants inspiration, works like this cape let us know that the ability to decorate the human form, and take delight in that decoration, is somehow innate to us.

Let's look forward to the next round of collections, as there is bound to be something that can give us awe and enjoyment!

- AP

Men's Fashion Now: Draping, Anyone?

Gentle Reader -

Before we get another collection and fashion magazine spread about men in kilts/skirts, why have we not seriously considered draping in menswear?

Before Savile Row begins to e-mail me (I imagine it would be a gently worded reproach), yes, as a term, draping is integral to menswear. But draping in this regard is more about the way cloth hangs close, but ultimately away, from the body.

What is suggested in this post is closer to the flou of couture: the artful arrangement of fabric such that it animates when worn.

Perhaps Western men's fashion is not yet ready, but as this is the 21st Century, isn't it about time?

The statue above is carved from wood, and much older than the initial conception of the suit. You might have already guessed an Eastern influence.

- AP

Cryptic Monday: Upcoming Collections

Gentle Reader -

What should we expect for the new collections? More of the same? Or something else?

- AP