Walking past the Meurice Hotel this afternoon, I passed a cluster of girls around the front door. Something told me they were waiting for someone famous who would be headed across the street to the Tuileries and the tent where the
Viktor & Rolf show was being held. A short while later, as I sat in my seat,
Katy Perry breezed past me in a blue coat and blue updo, settling in just metres away. And the paparazzi went wild.
Viktor & Rolf are great showmen, and their Fall 2012 collection was typical fun. Models glided across the stage under the projection of a full moon, so the first glimpse we had of each outfit was in silhouette. Then they took to the runway in silk blouses and matching pants that had drapey folds at the hips, jackets with extra sleeves that were slit to give a cape effect, and fox fur coats with black geometrics carved into them. Forcing the audience to focus on the silhouette of their clothes was a V & R stroke of brilliance, because Fall 2012 is so much about the lines that clothes form around the body.
This morning at
Haider Ackermann there were leather skirts that folded out upon themselves, ending in points below the knee, jackets that had rippling peplums, and sleeves that had a sleek overlayer curving from shoulder to just below the elbow. Often, wide, inverted belts seemed to pinch in the volume. Or waists were loose in long column dresses—another Paris trend.
Alber Elbaz celebrated shape—and a whole lot more—last night, with a 10th anniversary party for his time at
Lanvin. Guests were greeted with foie gras lollipops and champagne, before the
hors d’oeuvre tables were carried away and the models emerged. Skirt suits (it’s a trend too) in bold red or plum had broad peplums or curved hips, there was an orange dress with an undulating portrait collar, and black wool coats had wide, arcing sleeves. Then Elbaz switched into party mode with bejewelled frocks that were utterly unapologetic in their ostentatious glamour. Elbaz ended by grabbing a mike and singing “Que Sera Sera.” Enjoy your riches today ladies, for who knows what tomorrow will bring? Given what Europe has been through lately, it’s a sentiment that couldn’t be more apt.
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