Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu at Paris Fashion Week

LOUIS VUITTON

 MIU MIU

Karl Lagerfeld takes Chanel into the future and beyond...

Welcome to the Chanel data centre. Here you will find what the future of fashion will look like, in the mind of Karl Lagerfeld. Expect tweed, but with an urban twist complete with baseball cap, lingerie as your go to item for day wear and plenty of prints, colours and fabrics contrasting against each other. It's fair to say that the Chanel Spring/Summer 2017 collection was extremely modern, up to date in this madly obsessed digital age in which we live in.

Set in the famed Grand Palais as usual, the Chanel set was transformed into a data centre with wires, switches and coded messages surrounding the catwalk. The show opened with 2 models, their identity is still unknown, wearing cyborg outfits. Yes, there really were white helmets, plastic gloves and shiny shin pads, worn with contrasting classic monochrome Chanel suits. If anything they looked more like stylish storm troopers who had escaped from Star Wars, than cyborgs. Arizona Muse followed this weird spectacle, in a blue and white tweed jacket worn over a light pink slip dress. All the models wore little white, lace up shoes as though they had stepped out of a space centre, but the clothes were anything but futuristic. Lagerfeld featured tweeds prominently, more so than we've seen in past collections. The fabric was everywhere in an array of different colours, but mainly consisted of jackets varying in length.

Towards the middle of the show, loud prints were used on floaty silk dresses and matching top/short combos, but it was the more refined pastel pink and nude tones which I really liked at the end of the collection. The classic Chanel costume jewellery was layered over slips and silk skirts, with longer robes worn on top. The all white outfit Lindsey Wixon wore was a particular favourite. Of all the 80 something looks, there were so many wearable pieces compared to last spring/summer 2016 which made you wonder how anyone could possibly look good in what Lagerfeld sent down the catwalk ie. A pink, moth holed pair of trousers.

The whole thing made you contemplate the future of fashion and what will be the norm in years to come. Will the Chanel suit still exist? And what will the word 'timeless' mean when describing fashion piece? What will we be wearing in the year 3016? If King Karl has any say in this, we'll all be wearing tweed.

#PFW TODAY: Givenchy, McQueen, Hermes and more

GIVENCHY

It's crazy to think that only a few hours after attending the Givenchy show, Kim Kardashian was the theft, which reportedly lost her £8.5 million worth of jewellery. Very scary.

 

Anyway, this story doesn't have much relevance to the latest Ricardo Tisci collection for Givenchy. With Kim, Courtney Love, Natalia Vodianova, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik all sitting front row, there certainly wasn't any shortage of celebrities. As for the collection itself, it was darkly glamorous, with a strong emphasis on crystallised rocks - you'll need to see the photos to understand. I loved the way models walked with their hair slicked in a side parting across the forehead with a steady glare at the throng of cameras at the end of the catwalk. Black was paired with hot pinks, soft beiges and even flashes of yellow. Huge necklaces with rocks hanging from them looked amazing with form fitting dresses which came stripy and slightly robbed at gun point at her Paris house. The reality tv star escaped unharmed but badly shaken from a symmetric. Another fantastic show from Ricardo Tisci who just can't stop getting better.

HERMES

Beige and green seemed to be Hermes' colours for next season, with a minimal, simplistic collection...

 

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Sarah Burton has shown us once again how much she loves historical costumes, particularly the Tudor period. She sent out tough, all black leather looks alongside romantic basque style dresses in layers of chiffon and floral patterns. Her model line up as well as the hair/make up continued to tie into the gender neutral themes that have been such a talking point this year. A strong yet beautiful show.

 

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

Black and white, floral dresses, skinny black trousers and a penchant for sheer materials; for spring/summer 2017 Giambattista Valli was stylish but with a sexy edge. Gigi Hadid strode down the catwalk in little more than a black bra and high waist shorts, while bralets were worn over silk dresses or underneath little jackets, bearing the midriff. 

STELLA MCCARTNEY

I'm not a huge fan of Stella McCartney, but there were pieces in this collection which I rather liked. Take the khaki dress with balloon sleeves or the beige tops and trousers which were paired with pristine white. Shapes were slouchy but showed off the waist while trousers came gathered and loose.

Balenciaga, Celine, Valentino and more at PFW SS2017

CELINE

Bearing in mind that I once worked for Celine, I know the excellent quality and level of craftsmanship that goes into their pieces. This particular Celine collection wasn't really a favourite of mine, but the details and fabrics chosen by Phoebe Philo are really first class. from the warm wool coats to the chiffon pleat skirts, there was a real mix for next season. Blue was a key colour of choice, with a number of luxurious jumpers and trousers, but I also spotted tweeds, pristine whites and even hot pink.

BALENCIAGA 

Kim Kardashian goes make up free on the Balenciaga front row

VALENTINO

Seeing as Maria Grazia Chiuri has now left Valentino for Dior, Pier Paulo Piccocli has been left to his own devices at the helm of the Italian fashion house. The shapes, long and lean, colours, soft pinks and monochrome and overall feel of the show were all very Valentino in every possible way. I loved all the little cross body bags that models wore, which were literally so tiny you would struggle to fit your keys in there.

NINA RICCI

MUGLER

With a steller cast of models which included Karlie Kloss in a floor length black dress and a very sexy collection, this Mugler show was everything and more.

Maria Grazia Chiuri debutes her 'New Look' for Dior

You know a show is a success when the entire front row give it a standing ovation, complete with rapturous applause. Maria Grazia Chiuri today debuted her first collection for Christian Dior after the shock departure of Raf Simmons last year. And I for one hope she remains at the house for a longer length of time than her predecessor, after the stunning collection she showed this afternoon.

With Rihanna, Kate Moss, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Lawrence, Carla Bruni and Diane Kruger sitting on the front row, the pressure was on for Grazia Chiuri to literally 'bring it' for her first collection for Dior. She started off by sending out all white looks with a strong sense of sportswear about them. Models wore trainers with padded jackets and tailored trousers. Sheer tulle was used on floor length skirts and on frilled Victorian style tops and dresses. Little red hearts were embroidered delicately onto the chest of dresses and jackets, before black was introduced with a number of mini skirts, trench coats and shift dresses all in the same tone. Sunglasses were worn with a sense of cool, while the tightly, pulled buns models wore on their head made the clothes look even more slicker. Feminism was a clear inspiration for Chiuri, with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s slogan, 'We should all be feminists' printed on plan white t-shirts, a similar stance Donatella Versace took at her show at Milan Fashion Week with strong women as her inspiration.

I loved the ballet references, with the net skirts, flat shoes and elegant, streamlined shapes. The dresses towards the end of the show were especially lovely, with straps bearing the Dior logo - this will be a thing for next season in all the shops, trust me. I also liked all the illustrations on the garments which was a nice touch.

If anything, this whole collection was extremely beautiful, light, fluffy and yes, very Valentino. Maria Grazia Chiuri's work at Maison Valentino was heralded as an enormous success after the designer stood down as creative director, and of course she couldn't help but bring these design staples with her to Dior. In some ways, Dior and Valentino are quite similar. They are both brands known for feminine, beautiful pieces, with a fondness for florals and anything delicately elegant. But enough of Grazia Chirui's past and more about her future at Dior. She delivered a fantastic show and I sure hope she sticks around to produce many more at Dior.

PFW HIGHLIGHTS: Chloe, Balmain, Loewe and Lanvin

BALMAIN

Kim Kardashian tried desperately to shift attention to herself, perched on the Balmain front row in a very revealing black lace dress. But Olivier Rousteing outshone Kim and sister Kourtney, also present on the f-row, with another stunning collection. From the burnt orange shades which opened the show, to the stripy metallics, cut out dresses and sweeping silhouettes of the long capes, this spring/summer 2017 show was very stylish, strong and drop dead gorgeous. And what a cast was assembled. Natasha Poly opened the show, followed by Gigi Hadid, Jourdan Dunn, Constance Jablonski, Isabelli Fontana, Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio and Josephine Skriver. When you've got that many supermodels on the runway, its hard to look away.

CHLOE

This show didn't particularly inspire or excite me. Feminine, sweet and fresh, Clare Waight Keller delivered a very saccharine outlook for Chloe next season. From the ruffled mini dresses in layers of chiffon to the minimal navy and whites, paired together on dresses, trousers and tops, this collection was simple yet effective. I liked the use of stripes and the florals at the end of the show as well as the thick straps on dresses and tops. A different look for next season from the Bardot neckline which ruled this last summer.

ISABEL MARANT

Classic with a sporty twist is how I would describe Isabel Marant's lastest collection. Gigi Hadid opened the show in a belted dress which resembled a longer version of a hoody, while belts really did reign supreme here. I loved the utility look with the oversized denim and the Victorian ruffles - two things which shouldn't go together but did. I did spot some similarities to Celine's spring/summer 2016 collection, such as the use of zippers and balloon sleeves tops. But I'm sure this is more coincidence than direct copying.

LOEWE

JW Anderson continues to rule the roost at Loewe. I'm not really a fan of his own label what he does for Loewe is so cool, modern and unique. I loved the Victorian influences, the orange stripes on trousers and sleeves, the all black Matrix kind of looks and the oversized jewellery. Also, those bags were pretty amazing too as was the orange/brown colour pallet.

 
CARVEN

What drew me to Carven this Paris Fashion Week was the sporty influences that ran throughout the collection. I loved the mini skirts which looked more like kilts, paired with knitted jumpers reminiscent of the awful tops golfers wear - but in a good way. Black and navy stood out against oranges and reds while white was used a breath of fresh air.

LANVIN

I was a little apprehensive before the Lanvin show this week. First of all, Lanvin has been one of my favourite brands since I was about 14, mainly due to the designs of the now legendary Alber Elbaz. Every season I waited with baited breath for what beautiful creations he would send down the catwalk, and was rarely disappointed. Secondly, with Bouchra Jarrar now in creative control, I wanted her to do a good job for the sake of the fashion house. And I can happily report that she did.

Monochrome looks were effortless, sheer skirts and draped tops looked amazing together, ostrich feathers worn around necklines added a touch of glamour while the influence of the classic men's dinner suit was adapted in grace and ease. I loved the slickness of the whole show. The quality, as you would expect of Lanvin, was amazing and the style of clothes did very much remind me of all Elbaz did for the house. A wonderful show with so many lovely pieces to wear in the evening.

SAINT LAURENT

Anthony Vacarello and Hedi Slimane are very similar I've decided. This Saint Laurent show could have easily been designed by Slimane, now departed from the house, such were the rock star influences and LA grunge style. But Vacarello looked into the Yves Saint Laurent archives and pulled upon pieces from the 1980s synonymous with the fashion house. The big shoulder pads, a-symmetric dresses, skinny black suits and of course, the leather jacket thrown casually over the shoulders. It was sexy with lots of sheer lace details on dresses with lots of legs on display too, but also very glamorous. The black stilettos with the letters YSL embedded into the heel were particularly cool. I think Vacarello is a good fit for Saint Laurent. Let's hope he doesn't make the same mistakes Slimane made and mixes things up for next season.

Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu round up PFW

Louis Vuitton 

What Nicholas Ghesquiere has done for Vuitton is amazing. He took off right from where Marc Jacobs left the fashion house and completely made it his own. For any fashion fan it's obvious to spot a Louis Vuitton look a mile away, and credit must go to Nicholas. For fall 2016, it had to be his best show yet. From all the prints, skinny leather trousers and super cool costs to the sporty layering cut out dresses over longer skirts; there was so much going on. I loved the use of red against black and all the vertical line detailing on silk shirts and coats. A fabulous way to finish off fashion week. 

Miu Miu

Usually I'm not a huge fan of Miu Miu, Prada's younger more chic sister label. But this show was full of so many amazing pieces that I completely fell in love with it. From the fur cuffed parka work by Kendall Jenner to the beautiful black dresses at the end of the show, there was a whole wardrobe of different choices in so many different colours. Part of the show felt very summery with cotton white mini dresses paired with sandals, yet you had large overcoats which nodded to the winter season. Joan Smalls wore a lovely lemon cardigan and dare I say it, granny skirt! Quite a few of the looks looked as though they had been raised from older grandparents wardrobes!! There was an all star cast - Bella and Gigi Hadid, Irina Shayk, Adriana Lima, Lara Stone, Joan Smalls and of course, Kendall. A really great show.