Deirdre McQuillan identifies trends from the Paris catwalks that may dictate what we'll be wearing next spring/summer
It's a tough task defining fashion trends, but Paris Fashion Week points the way forward, propelled by a new generation of powerful designers with clear ideas of modernity and femininity. At the recent catwalk presentations for next spring and summer in the French capital, some could see a new minimalism in many of the collections, particularly that of Lanvin, drawn from a rigour of cut and construction almost impossible to copy easily.
Others identified the profligate ornamentation of lace and other embroidery details, as seen in Balenciaga, as alternative ways to define beauty. In a week that celebrated 40 years of the "le smoking" tuxedos for women, many designers drew from classic menswear tailoring as much as from decorative l9th century lingerie.
The little white dress: It might be facile to suggest that the ubiquitous appearance of the little white dress indicates a new mood of virginity or purity - a move away from the predatory femme fatale - but there was no doubting its sweet, summer innocence, captured in crisp, beautiful dresses by Phoebe Philo at Chloe. Others such as Paul Smith, Jasper Conran, Giambattista Valli, Rochas and Antonio Berardi ran their own stellar versions of the LWD, taking many forms such as tea dresses, tent dresses, baby doll numbers or simple silk sheaths.
Lace: Along with chiffon, net, organdie and ribbon, lace in all its forms, crocheted or laser cut, Valenciennes or cutwork, was a common form of ornamentation. Other handwork such as pintucking was at its most extravagant and oversized at Dior. Laser-cut skirts appeared at Giambattista Valli; skirts were edged with laser lace at Marithe & François Girbaud; Chanel translated biker shorts into black lace and John Galliano applied black lace to flesh-coloured trench coats. Hermès took lace to a full crescendo in long sweeping gowns, worn over contrast silk underdresses and accessorised with lace umbrellas and fans.
Shirtwaisters: Alber Elbaz at Lanvin opened his show with a black shirtwaister dress worn with a black tie, while Stella McCartney's version in blue cotton retained curvy shirt tails for her rolled-up sleeve version. Smart street variations appeared at Betty Jackson, Hermès and many others. Gaultier's version cleverly belted it at the front through side slits, leaving the back loose, a flattering touch which could be easy to copy.
Trouser suits: They are narrow, lean and slouchy, with drainpipe or cropped trousers and they appeared nearly everywhere, whether in snow white cotton (Rochas), grey pinstripes (Girbaud and Branquinho), or black satin (Chanel), but there was always a twist. At YSL, the suit, tightly cropped, had the linear look of a Spanish toreador. At Girbaud, a pinstripe jacket was updated with ruffled lapels. Rochas showed the most innovative and interesting combination of all, an Edwardian-style long skirt in cotton or linen with a tiny jacket, a dramatic eveningwear silhouette for day.
Shorts: Alexander McQueen sent them out with sharply tailored black jackets, black opaques and stilettos, eschewing the idea of bare legs. Elsewhere, Dries van Noten teamed them with peasant smocks, Stella McCartney with short, flared jackets, Cacharel with regatta stripes, while Betty Jackson rolled up the hems.
Kimono motifs: Obi belts, kimono prints and Japanese folding details made subtle appearances at Dries van Noten, at Anne Demeulemeester (with ruched sleeves), Lanvin and Naoki Takizawa at Issey Miyake.
Accessories: The wide patent leather belt in black or white defined the waist, while bags, soft, slouchy and pouchy, matched the throwaway style of the trouser suits. Stomping on and off the catwalk was the wedge shoe, but the cutest footwear for the new season was bright metallic peep toes in emerald green or lipstick red from Lanvin, shots of paintbox colour to brighten up a monochrome season.
A rakish fedora at Chanel summed up summer's heady, but insouciant mood.