PFW DAY III/RECAP

The third day of Paris Fashion Week saw shows by amongst others Balenciaga, Carven, Ann Demeulemeester, and Lanvin. Here are some of the highlights.

With his new spring collection for Balenciaga, Alexander Wang once again showed himself a worthy successor to Nicolas Ghesquiere. The sharp cuts, sculptural shapes and innovative materials gave it an air of the future, while the exquisite tailoring and elegant details rather reminded of traditional couture. The bare midriffs and shiny moulded leather gave the collection a sporty edge, while cutaway shoulders, sheer organza, and romantic ruffles added a soft feminine touch.

Drawing inspiration from the girls he went to highschool with back in the nineties, Carven’s Guillaume Henry showed a sweet, yet savvy new spring collection, juxtaposing over dimensioned and elongated denim jackets, multicoloured army prints, and bare midriffs with pastelle twinsets, romantic flower appliqués, and pleated checked skirt. More Clueless than grunge, so to say.

For SS14, Ann Demeulemeester presented a fresh take on her own deconstructive legacy. A mishmash of patterns and prints, the looks were wrapped, folded, draped, and layered the looks with Ann Demeulemeester’s usual eye for sharp silhouettes and creative cuts. Finished with corset-like belts and enormous, softly sculpted hats, it was an intriguing and innovative collection, rendered with sheer finesse.

Glam rock seems to be what Alber Elbaz went for with his new spring collection for Lanvin. With the exception of a few sober looks in the middle, everything shimmered and sparkled, from a simple black evening dress and a pleated emerald skirt to a flowy golden suit and a bronze overall. Matched with messy layered hair and bold metal jewelleries, even the sweetest ruffled dress was oozing with punchy glam rock attitude.

Photos courtesy of Style.com

By Sonja Nettelbladt