Comme des Garçons, AW13, Paris.
There is always a certain generosity in the way that the Comme des Garçons garments are created, more specifically a generosity of volume. This means that when Rei Kawakubo does a take on ribbon roses, then we are not shown mere puny, silky roses but are instead shown large masses of fabric that seem to grow from oversized tailored garments.
Chanel, AW13, Paris.
In the recent Autumn-Winter 2013 collection for Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld made the high thigh area the erogenous zone of choice, creating layered garments that focused on a narrow rectangle of skin that appeared just above thigh high boots and just below flared skirts and jackets.
Chalayan, AW13, Paris.
The recent collection from Hussein Chalayan for Autumn-Winter 2013 used different techniques and details to frame the silhouette and create layered garments that at times had the ability to transform on the catwalk. The overall effect was to combine both the sensational with the understated to create garments that were ultimately completely wearable.
Kenzo, AW13, Paris.
Cleverly crafted tailoring details were nearly obscured by the ornate prints and embellished textiles that were used in the recent Kenzo collection for Autumn-Winter 2013. The collection by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon also experimented with layered looks of nearly identical textiles that made the most of a rich yet muted colourway laced with metallics.
Miu Miu, AW13, Paris.
The recent Miu Miu collection was a careful study in how to push a single design idea to the limits, with careful developments of cuts and colours evolving over the course of the show. These ideas were supported by key construction details that supported a variety of silhouettes.
Alexander McQueen, SS13, Paris.
The recent Alexander McQueen collection was intensely detailed, with minute fabric layering and honeycomb peephole details. The Spring-Summer 2013 under the reign of Sarah Burton centred around the idea of the bee hive, and the concept was the driving force behind structural and textural details as diverse as exquisite mesh, bee brocades and over blown flowers.
Issey Miyake, SS13, Paris.
In the Spring-Summer 2013 collection for Issey Miyake, Yoshiyuki Miyamae used vibrant colour, bold graphic lines and incredible disintegrating pleating to fill the sculptural clothing with movement.
Louis Vuitton, SS13, Paris.
It was all about the graphic use of counterchange at the Spring-Summer 2013 show for Louis Vuitton. A checkerboard design was used in a wide variety of scales, with minute details to match.
Céline, SS13, Paris.
The Céline collection for Spring-Summer 2013 combined texture plays with slouched silhouettes to create garments that felt simultaneously luxurious and effortless. There was a certain gravity to the collection, created in no small part through the use of large twists that folded heavy satins across the body.
Chalayan, SS13, Paris.
The recent collection by Hussein Chalayan for Spring-Summer 2013 featured crisp white tailoring, and vibrant flashes of colour with hints of sporting fabrications. It was above all a refreshing collection, a solid palette cleanser with Chalayan’s usual exquisite attention to detail.
Maison Martin Margiela, Couture, AW12, Paris.
For their debut haute couture collection, the Margiela team put together an unusual mix of fabrics and textures to create an alternative version of glamour. In the Autumn-Winter 2012 collection there were references to interiors with giant glass door knobs or curtain rod fixtures used as fasteners on raw edged tailoring, or at the apex of draped silks and laces.
Jil Sander, RTW, AW12 (Left) and Christian Dior, Haute Couture, AW12 (Right).
It makes for a rare fashion season when a designer produces a haute couture influenced collection for a ready-to-wear label, and then the same designer creates an actual haute couture collection at another fashion house altogether. This is precisely what has happened in the Autumn-Winter 2012 season, when Raf Simons presented his last collection as Creative Director at Jil Sander, and also presented his first haute couture collection as Creative Director at the house of Christian Dior.
Comme des Garçons, AW12, Paris.
For her Autumn-Winter 2012 collection for Comme des Garçons, Rei Kawakubo presented a very flat collection that called into question the very nature of the way we view fashion. As a comment on the way that we generally view collections as endless catwalk thumbnail images the garments were made out of very thick felt, giving the appearance of paperdolls playing dress-up, and making the garments perfectly suited to only being viewed front on.
Chanel, AW12, Paris.
With so many looks, garments, different fabrics and embellishments involved in a Chanel show, it often takes a second look to fully digest the entire collection.
Balenciaga, AW12, Paris.
Nicholas Ghesquiere has a knack for making his job at Balenciaga look easier than it actually is. After all, it is one thing to moodboard up an innovative concept and sketch up exciting silhouettes every season, and something else all together to make sure that all the tiny details, combinations of fabric and ideas look resolved and polished by the time the garments hit the runway.
