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| Only Cam and I are missing... |
Luckily, we got dissed from the Chanel show - not the first time I've gotten bumped from a flight. Apparently Mr. Lagerfeld felt it necessary to put the Chanel Couture show inside a fabricated airplane. So, alas, no seats for us. No worries. It meant sleeping in and resting those tired feet. Next time!
First Show/Luncheon of the Day: ROGER VIVIER
We started the day by attending the Roger Vivier Spring Couture Collection, located at their flagship store on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore. Best known for his invention of the stiletto (something I will thank him for when I meet him in the next life), Roger Vivier did for shoes what Martha Graham did for dance: he brought a surreal texture to shoes of sexuality and power and subtlety. If you've never watched Belle du Jour, one of Catherine Deneuve's most famous films, go put it in your NetFlix queue now. The Vivier buckle shoe would never be the same.
The collection was beautiful. Designed by Creative Director, Bruno Frisoni (2003), his use of feathers and other interesting textiles caught my shoe fetish attention. My only wish is that we could see some of his couture in the ready to wear collection. The infamous buckle is a classic, and I am partial to the thorn heel that Frisoni likes to use on high stilettos, however a departure from some of the mundane would be refreshing and brave. And he has the talent to do it. I am a complete fan of the brand. Like Belle du Jour, it's for ladies who might have a slightly naughty side. I'd like to see Frisoni's naughty side show up in his art as well!!
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| I walked out of the luncheon with these luscious gems... |
The Armani show was more of a typical runway show with a long runway and loads of people in rows on either side. Inside the Grand Palais, the space was dark in black, with more paparazzi and celebrities than we had seen. The highlight of the show was when Jessica Chastain (in the front row across from us) got word of her Oscar nomination for her role in The Help. She and her friends were screaming and clapping - I had no idea the happiness was going to come to such an abrupt end. I was really looking forward to this show, as I'm not that familiar with Armani Prive. I wasn't quite sure what to expect...
The collection was as dark as the environment. And oddly androgynous. My Southern roots cringe just a little when I'm presented with black and cavernous clothes. Everyone knows that authentic Southerners are all a little mad, and definitely a little eccentric. We are the people that wear our great grandmother's broaches, take gardening as a serious art and believe that houses have actual bones and souls. But we always have smiles on our faces and grace always comes first. Diving to the bottom of the pond and smothering ourselves in sadness and doom is just not in our nature, unless it's late into the night and bourbon is involved. Reminding me of reptiles, the clothes seemed to slither out and transform, yet offered no hope of a change into something beautiful. I read that the collection was about metamorphosis, but I never saw the butterfly. I wish I had!
Definitely the most thought-provoking show I saw, I left a little down. And, golly, life is hard enough. For me, I prefer my clothes to offer some ray of light in this cynical and fast world that we live in. Plus I've lived in California for over three years now, and we tend to be a bit more cheerful than others.
BREAK! I finally had a moment to catch my breath, eat and sleep... Let the parties begin!
Final Show of the Day: GIVENCHY
Okay folks. This is couture. This is craftsmanship like you've never seen. It's innovation at its highest. It is what I think of as the French way: less is more, quality not quantity. Hubert de Givenchy began the line in 1952 after studying with some of the great French masters of design, including Elsa Schiaperelli. He always remained true to his aesthetic and artistry while constantly moving forward and remaining modern. Today Italian designer Riccardo Tisci is directing the House. I love his modernity and innovation, and I love that he does so without ever being trendy or expected. This show won my award for best collection.
This was a relaxed showing inside a space next door to The Ritz Hotel in Paris. Most pieces, of which there were only 10, were shown on mannequins, and you could walk up to each piece and get very close. Which you wanted to do in order to see the extreme details. A couple of models walked around the space, exposing beadwork on the inside of a dress and wore crystal nose rings and gigantic chandelier earrings.
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| This was my favorite. I requested the price on this one. Suffice it to say, that I will NOT be wearing Givenchy Couture to the Met party... not this year! |
Givenchy contrasted well with the Dior show from the day before. Proving that you can hold on to the past and all of its greatness while propelling forward and creating fresh, new work.
Fete 1: Celebration of Mary Katrantzou's premiere line for Longchamp at COLETTE
I had just met Mary the Friday before while I was in London. Cameron insisted that I meet her and become a fan of her dresses. It didn't take much. After walking into her work space in Islington, London, I fell in love. Maybe first with Mary, then with her work. At 29 she is making some of the most unbelievable prints and clean, simple dresses that I've seen. Longchamp must agree, as she was chosen to create prints for their popular tote bag line.
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| With Cameron and Mary Katrantzou Wearing Mary's Iron Lung dress to the fete |
Fete 3: Prada
Okay, so we didn't make this one. We heard it might go late, and we were having such a fun time with friends at dinner that we gave a shot at a late arrival. Not even Prada partys after midnight...
1 comment:
Nailed it again! As you suggested yesterday and emphasize today, it's wonderful to see Dior and Givenchy in conversation with the great couture of the past. The new York Times was just bemoaning the fact that today's designers haven't picked up on the great lines of previous eras. I see they have.
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