Roksanda Ilincic FW12: "Cozy Luxury"
Style.com

One of the best feelings to have during a fashion show is surprise. There is nothing better than sitting in a room not knowing exactly what you're about to see. If the surprise is a good one you've got a winner. This is exactly what happened to me last September when I attended Roksanda Ilincic's SS12 show. I was completely in awe for its duration and even now can say it was my favourite show of the season.
So it goes without saying that I couldn't wait to see Roksanda's FW12 collection last February during London Fashion Week. I had great expectations, which can make the surprise go either way, Luckily the collection was another hit –ultra sophisticated and a breath of fresh air.
My favourite thing about it were the sportswear details like draw strings, hoods and sweatshirt necklines incorporated in luxurious evening astrakhan dresses with fur hemlines or exquisitely tailored tweed coats. And the women around me seemed to agree with me.
They were also very wearable clothes –something that Stephanie LaCava proved not only once but twice. The cocktail dresses with gathered details were perfect for work, a dinner or a party and the coats and jackets (the blue astrakhan bowler was a highlight) were just as versatile.
And to top it all off the music was simply perfect to accompany a stunning show.

Style.com

Collage Sunday, PFW Edition

Today I decided to blend together Collage Sunday and Paris Fashion Week in the shape of a visual catch up. Some of the biggest names from the French capital showed in the last couple of days and we saw a bit of a change. Balenciaga took on Marni's challenge to create luxurious sportswear. Ghesquière showed us a boyish punk point of view mixed with dug out archive pieces. It was, as Balenciaga always is, rather technically intricate in the most interesting manner. Alber Elbaz's twist on the Lanvin woman was one of the biggest surprises (to me) from Paris. He always addresses his collections from a woman's point of view, which this time resulted in a vast assortment of wardrobe options in a way that redefined modern elegance.

As much as I've always adored John Galliano, I must confess I have often wondered if I was the only one who noticed his themes chez Christian Dior were too recurrent or if I was a mere ignorant. As it turns out, he is capable of making fresh clothes à la Galliano. For SS11 he traveled to Hawaii with his couture collection, which transformed into effortless silk numbers of tropical motifs and hues with a slight 50's air and masculine sailor-inspired parkas. Margiela's collection started following last season's line but soon morphed into an experiment of shape abstraction. Nicole Phelps, from Style.com, said the collection fell flat. I dare to disagree because, even though it is 100% unwearable it pushed the envelope shape-wise. After all, it was MMM who first introduced the pronounced shoulder shapes we came to love.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, GaranceDore.fr]

Luxury sportswear

Having seen a calmer side of Marni during the past few seasons it came as almost a shock when the SS11 collection went back to the house's über-eccentric roots. Consuelo Casteglioni, who created Marni in 1994, reminded her audience why her brand became a cult in the first place by bringing together sportswear and luxury. The models walked out turned into sophisticated scuba-divers wearing soft leather, mesh and wet suit fabric cut and ruffled like ordinary dresses and layered over cycling shorts. A fusion taken to the extreme on the maxi-sequinned looks toward the end of the show. Castiglioni made of colour play and prints a statement. The latter varied from the vintage to the contemporary pixelated florals. All of it quirkily topped off with swimming hats, Marni's infamous shades and chunky heels and aerodynamic hair.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]