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July 8, 2007

Fall 2007 Couture

Paris wrapped up its couture shows this week with the kind of extravagance and flair that few design houses can deliver. Here’s Blacks’s rundown of the best on the runways.

Chanel

At Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld kept the palette sophisticated in black, grays, browns and deep reds. Romance was a general theme of couture this season and Lagerfeld’s collection touched on this mood while added a futuristic feel. He used a variety of details on the side seams, which he inserted top to bottom. This included feathers, ruffles, pleats, pearl beading and contrast piping.

Skirts, tops, and dresses were worn over super tight, stretchy, shiny leather pants. On jackets, flair was inserted at the waist to really kick out at the bottom. Emphasis was also on cuffs, with details such as feathers or fur.

Christian Dior

John Galliano once again proved his mastery in the art of couture. Galliano is truly at home when allowed to let his imagination run wild and this season the result was a series of extravagant gowns, straight out of a fairy tale. He left the Japanese influence of last season and journeyed to the heart of Spain. The dresses were fantastical and explosive. He managed to achieve a romantic and old-fashioned fantasy princess feel, without the corniness one might expect.

Christian Dior’s groundbreaking New Look silhouette was reworked into’40s style peplum jackets and full skirt dresses. Dresses had crisp, puffy folds of white fabric and graphic pictures of flowers in black strokes or with blurred, painterly effects. Painting on fabric was used throughout the collection, in different artistic styles, from abstract to more graphic designs.

Silhouettes and details were drawn from historical paintings, yet felt modern with innovative elements and extreme details, keeping with Galliano’s style. He used creative details like embroidery and pleating, as well as printed artwork. The collection was very sophisticated, but still had the fun of make-believe and dress up.

Christian Lacroix

Christian Lacroix really mixed it up for this collection by using a variety of ethnic elements. Each model looked like a well-dressed doll. Jackets were huge and done in upholstery-like jacquard fabrics or fur, in long, straight, rectangular cuts.

The designer experimented with the black skirt/top/jacket combination, trying different types of fabrics, layers, and embroidery for each look.

Emphasis was put on the collars, with huge feathers or fur. Giant pearl necklaces were the main accessory. This collection was not very body conscious; there was a lot of puff and volume, created either by a mass of fabric or with gathering techniques. Lace and sequins were used throughout the collection, as well as corsetry. The color palette was very dark, with accents of brilliant, bold colors.

Armani Privé

Giorgio Armani went for a loosely interpreted rock and roll theme for his fall 2007 show, using a dark palette with shots of brilliant color. One key look was the nipped waist jacket, with a plunging neckline, paired with a flared, knee-length skirt. The jackets came in a variety of grays, while the skirts stayed black with colored detail. Many of the jackets had pointed shoulders and were accessorized with a thick belt.

Armani also showed a variety of Michael Jackson-style suits, with tight, cropped black pants and skinny ties. He used a lot of iridescent fabrics on items such as high-waisted pants and exaggerated pouf sleeves.

Although the collection was a success overall, it had some disappointing elements, such as an emphasis on the hips, which were exaggerated into a weird unflattering shape.

Elie Saab

Elie Saab’s fall 2007 collection made a nod to the silver screen with its palette of silver, grays and black. He choose sheer layers of fabric with flair, using beading, fabric gathering, jagged hems and long, loose tiers. He played with asymmetrical dresses with one (sometimes super puffy) sleeve and used a variety of embroidery on jackets and dresses.

Details included big fur cuffs and absolutely huge puffy, sheer sleeves. The oversized sleeves were used throughout the collection, and sometimes done in a different material than the rest of the dress.

Some of the dresses were reminiscent of the disco era in that they were loose and flowing with sparkles and cinched waists. While this collection lacks the extravagance of some other couture collections, there were a lot of beautiful and fun pieces for extravagant evenings.

-Reporting by Liina Gruener