In a day of teaming rain, protests marches and traffic, Paris witnessed three shows by designers determined to think out of the box when it came to their brand’s DNA – Vivienne Westwood, Hermès and Elie Saab.
Vivienne Westwood: Historical hipster
Turns out the spirit of Vivienne Westwood is very much alive and well in the house of Vivienne Westwood, which staged a great hipster historical collection Saturday lunchtime in Paris.
A gutsy, gothic and groovy statement, with Sam Smith starring in two passages: first as a wild laird of a Scottish baronetcy in tartan knickers, towering platforms and a huge staff; next as a dark bearded widow in a large black cut-out wool coat demanding respect.
Presented inside Cèsure, a rambling art center built in a battered former school in the bottom of the 5th arrondissement. A trio of performance artists beginning the action with one of them imitating early morning bird-song, and ending it yodelling, playing violin and chopping logs with an axe.
Her husband and successor Andreas Kronthaler went all the way back to his first collection with Vivienne 29 for inspiration. Recalling a cut-out leather design he did back then that played on Giambattista Moroni’s painting of a tailor cutting cloth.
“We always talk about history and historical figures and I went back to that this season, even as I wanted to move ahead,” explained Andreas in packed post-show backstage.
Which he did with wicked governess gowns; great Tudor noble gray parkas; and lighter leaner plaid pirate jackets.
Hermès: Not quiet at all luxury
It felt more like a rock concert or a heavy metal festival than a traditional vision of quiet luxury at Hermès this season, in a timely and radical departure by the luxury house.
Made essentially in mono-color, cut strictly and frequently with a bodycon emphasis, the whole look knocked a half decade of the Hermès gal, and not a bad thing either.
A mono-color mood at Hermès in a color palette that was very dark – black, anthracite, toffee, chocolate and taupe.
Staged inside a looming custom-built tent inside the Garde Républicaine cavalry barracks, an all-black box with a central strip where mock rain fell throughout the show. Very much a winter collection made mostly in leather and dense toile, constructed for the urban jungle and not a country house or chateau.
No star models, just very polished rich girl model lookalikes striding about quickly. Their hair slicked back as if en route to a meet a rock star, backstage pass in their hip pocket.
Lots of leather biker looks often finished with riding boots, and sometimes paired with cool new jodhpur-meets-leggings assemblage. All driven on by UK indie rock, not exactly your typical Hermès lady Spotify mix.
Got to hand it to Hermès women’s creative director Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski; she is not afraid to take a few calculated risks. Yes, Hermès is all about quiet luxury, but not silent style, thanks to Nadège.
Elie Saab: Elvis Saab
Elie went West this season with a taste of Wild West culture from a designer who is the reigning king of creators in the eastern Mediterranean.
He riffed on Elvis Presley with a range of fringed looks; Western boots and references to The King’s ornate white suits.
Even, as is Saab’s style, with a careful dosage of the concept in this collection staged in Palais de Tokyo, on the banks of the Seine.
Sheriff Saab served up sheriff’s jackets, top-coats and wranglers shirts in silk and crepe, trimmed with fringes and paired with impeccable cut pants or ruffled minis and knee boots in a padded cowboy style.
He even showed his first-ever denim on a catwalk with New Mexico-motif embroidery before changing gear for evening with some brilliant ball silk shantung gowns in the color of the season – Imperial Roman purple.
Backed up by a driving score featuring Dimitris Kalfas’ Marine 9 remix, it felt great to witness Saab break new ground, before he took his ovation to great applause.
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