LUXE TREND 43
HAUTE COUTURE-SS 2018
January is a month when most luxury launches take place. In 30 days, a veritable Super Bowl of Luxury takes place between Geneva, Paris and Milan, and from menswear to watches to haute joaillerie to Haute Couture all occur in quick succession.
The month closed with Haute Couture and even though we will attempt to cover the other launches in the next issues of LuxeTrends, it feels right to begin with HC. In the luxury realm, there are very few things that equal the allure of Haute Couture in terms of inspiration and potential creative influence. Design and materials, customization opportunities and technique are combined to showcase what is possible for those whose pocket books can sustain the art of Haute Couture.
The mood in Paris has been rather somber. During Couture week the Seine was on the verge of flooding the city and some quartiers experienced severe damage. Even the rats of Paris evacuated the sewers, in search of higher ground.
In this less-than-storybook setting Couture collections started with a common theme: Surrealism. Several houses followed this common theme, some better than others. At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri presented a collection inspired by the work of Leonor Fini, the surrealist artist. This latest Dior Couture outing was presented in a set full of disembodied ears and other elements. Black and white graphic dresses and suits felt repetitive, often overdesigned and familiar. Chiuri’s Dior relies too heavily on historical elements of the heritage of the brand for its design direction. While Chiuri’s favorite shapes and styling are prevalent in each successive collection, perhaps it is time to create some new heritage for Dior. The one bright exception in this collection was the series of tulle masks created by Stephen Jones.
A more successful Surrealist collection at Schiaparelli where Bertrand Guyon stayed within a well controlled color palette. Tribal embroidery and inventing cuts made a collection that was luxurious, inventive and wearable. Quite appropriate for a house where Surrealism originally thrived.
At Valentino, Pier Paolo Piccioli’s palette was on steroids along with very simple shapes, some sculptural flounces, and plenty of drama. Apart from some recycled Valentino red, an overall masterful simplicity prevailed. With color combinations reminiscent of St. Laurent and even Lacroix, this collection had the air of the work of the late David Seidner, a photographer who excelled at defining ‘90s Couture. Big pants with ruched waists might be making a comeback, at least on the red carpet.
Despite creative flights of fancy, Haute Couture would be nothing without its clientele. With the average Couture client attending several weddings a season, couturiers are happy to service them by creating collections that address these social obligations. At the top of the list, Karl Lagerfeld, whose Chanel collection was clearly designed with the clients in the designer’s crosshairs. A pretty, pastel, boxy, commercial, familiar and repetitious collection. No surrealism here; maybe because Mademoiselle’s arch enemy was the flamboyant Schiaparelli. Perhaps the innovation in this collection is in how the house services its Couture clientele and a modern luxury lifestyle.
A very serious mood set in at Givenchy for the first collection by Clare Waight Keller, the former designer at Chloe. In this collection, the stiffness of the line was counterbalanced by bold colors and careful embroidery. This collection felt carefully calculated, a little reminiscent of Tisci’s work but also more feminine. Prime examples: a standout blue top with peplum collar simple in construction but sculptural in intent; a light rubber raincoat with the drape of subtle leather was sensual and almost subversive.
The trend for more structured garments was also present at Dior, Chanel and Givenchy, especially in jackets and suits. At Chanel the stiffness of construction was balanced with fabrics in soft bouclés and tweeds that effectively hid the complicated architecture of the garments. Still, the high waist pockets require a geisha’s robotic posture to pull off, an odd design detail that overwhelmed an otherwise well-planned collection.
Viktor & Rolf showed their own version of Couture Surrealism in a collection of graphical patterns created of multicolored duchesse satin.
That stiffness was also present in the some of the latest menswear collections and we may be preparing for a new era of formality.
A much deserved homage to Pierre Cardin at Gaultier. Couture aficionados know that Cardin was a master tailor at Dior and was responsible for the cut and shape of the house’s famous Bar jacket. A true fashion sculptor, Cardin embraced and defined the ‘60s while changing fashion from within: by innovating along classic construction techniques. Gaultier is a talented master tailor himself, a skill often overlooked in a career full of bold fashion. This collection offered creative construction innovations, but sadly in what became rather forgettable Cou
Finally, at the Azzedine Alaia Gallery an exhibit of 40 famous dresses by the famous couturier who sadly passed away a few months ago. These dresses seem to remind any serious fashion follower that it takes a deft hand and unshakable conviction to create what ultimately becomes true style. If we measure the latest Haute Couture collections against that ruler of style and potential influence, they all regrettably fell short.