Paris Fashion Week: Day 2

Christophe Lemaire, the former creative director of Hermès, showed his Autumn/Winter 15 collection a day after he announced Lemaire would be partnering with Uniqlo. His look is an every day wardrobe of unforced elegance. There are no gimmicks, screaming distinctions or over-styled looks. Outerwear was strong with raincoats, peacoats, duffles and capes, and came sculpted and and languid, showing simplicity in complex cutting and detailing. Shoulders and décolleté were loosely exposed, adding an element of an erotic undertone. As Lemaire told the New York Times, the Lemaire woman may well be an intellectual, but she could, perhaps, be naked under that coat.

Cedric Charlier presented a collection of refined sportswear, favouring simple lines in a contrast of colour. Green, navy, burgundy and dusty pink formed the palette alongside bonded and technical fabrics, which were cut into slim trouser silhouettes, geometric outerwear and sporty suits. A graphic element came in printed stripes and were seen on evening pleated dresses, skirts and sporty dresses.

Dries van Noten made utility opulence the order of the day. The opening look was a gold brocade coat worn over a pair of oversized chinos. Next came shimmering metallic cloques in elegant short dresses, jacquards in flowing trousers and neat jackets with puffed sleeves, and tie-on embroiderd skirts worn over cargo trousers cinched at the waist. Pailettes, sequins, feathers and floral added a luxurious touch, as did van Noten's signature chinoiserie.

The draped dresses that opened the show at Vionnet were the strongest looks of the collection. They came in sumptuous silk in sorbet colours, were beautifully fluid and cut on the bias. But then the show changed and the romantic and demure gowns that began moulded into a harder look with black on black leather, panel cut dresses, and an optical swirling fur which felt neither new or so desirable. The aim was to ‘disrupt’ its own poetry, but the effect led to a challenged understanding of cohesiveness of this collection and its customer.

Images: Lemaire, Vionnet; AW15