Peplum déjà vu

Fashion Month finally wrapped up yesterday in Paris. And when I say finally mean it in a relieving way because it takes quite a bit of effort to keep up to speed with the collections. I don't know if it was just me but it feels like they speed it up more and more every season. I can't imagine the state some editors are in. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bvlgari Spa in Bali was overbooked this weekend. I have managed to catch up with all the collections, which makes me happy because it means I'm not behind anymore. I have decided that it's too boring to just post pictures of the collections and rant about how much I like them (or not) so I'm going to post about the bit of them that I loved or that caught my attention. Like this one below. I loved Giambattista Valli's FW11 collection but I was surprised to see him introduce similar bold coloured peplums to the over-featured Jil Sander ones from SS11. It's not that I don't like them (even if these are attached) but they're just old news, n'est pas?

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Le Chanel kitten heel

This week's Chanel show was the first one I can honestly say I have really liked in seasons. I loved the casual styling that Karl used for the super high-end clothes. I thought using the tweed pieces with the rolled up trousers with the sneakers. Or as sneaker-y as Chanel can get, which is a lace-up croc Chelsea boot. But I was more interested, or should I say intrigued, by the kitten heels that the Kaiser used for all the evening looks. They look much better than Valentino's SS10 studded version and they are sort of Isabel Marant-ish, which I like. However, there is something a bit odd about a woman walking in heels that size. There is no reason for them to make a hit (aside from Lagerfeld's over-60 clientele) but I have a feeling Giovanna or Emmanuelle might make me eat my words in a few months.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Valentino's fw11 Aces

It might just be me but I am still feeling a little iffy about Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli's work at Valentino. It escapes me why they need two designers to come up with work that never lives up to Garavani's old standards. Having said that, they are kind of slowly finding their way and creating a new Valentino woman. The fw11 collection was a bit hit and miss but the hits, I thought, were big ones. The cocktail dresses and night gowns obviously stood out from the bowed and bland two-pieces. I specially loved the mustard/olive green colours they used for evening and the pale pink for the day. I was also happy with the fact that they have used intricate but understated detailing like lace, embroidery and ruffles in a way that would suit the classy ladies that (I expect) wear Valentino.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Baby, you can drive my car

Céline is one of my favourite brands of the last few seasons. Ever since Phoebe Philo stepped in as creative director I find it intensely alluring. For fw11 minimalism acquires a certain 70's air. Philo says she was inspired by cars interiors (I love the wood prints) and you can see it in the precise but dynamic straight lines that she has used in her tailoring. Two of the most stand-out pieces of the collection have got to be the bright orange coat, which had a certain rawness to it, and the tri-colour fur coat —one of the best fur proposals from the season. I liked the sort of sportswear air to the more rigid pieces like the tailored trousers or the shirts and I found the colour palette very interesting, as some of the colours didn't appear more than once or twice. Is this the birth of aerodynamic chic?

And Phoebe is just so... Céline. She's so chic and minimal and, well, British. What else can I say?

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Collage Sunday, 06.03.11: Parisian delights

It was so hard to choose only one or two designers to make my Sunday collage about that I chose four instead. They are some of my favourite collections of the weekend so far. Alber Elbaz did it again. I am forever in awe of his skill and imagination at Lanvin (please don't take him away to Dior!). I obviously loved his wide-brimmed hats (where you could have friends over for tea) and the beautiful shoes buckled at the ankle. Cacharel was a pleasant surprise. Cédric Charlier used colours (or lack there of) with prints to express a very modern and chic point of view. I loved the simplicity of the cuts and the layering as well. I hope Giovanna Battaglia gives this a try. I absolutely loved Sonia Rykiel's collection this season. her combination of checks, winter motifs, quilting and dyed hair was quirky but also rather Parisian. I particularly liked the tartan throw-ons and patchwork blazers. And finally, Junya Watanabe. He does extraordinarily well wherever he goes. I am dying over his fw11 light and asymmetrical knits and those slightly cowboy-ish Chelsea boots.

Clockwise from left: Lanvin, Cacharel, Junya Watanabe, Sonia Rykiel.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]