****

II International Herald Tribune

Saturday-Sunday, October 6-7, 2007 Fashion
Romantic notions
T here was a romantic
mood at the Anne
Valérie Hash show. But not
the flowery, ruffly volumin-
ous kind that has dominated
many shows this season.
Hash came up with her
own take on the idea, com-
bining light and airy or-
ganza and flowing silk with
structured elements that
grounded her romantic no-
tions and kept them from
floating away.
She did it with stand-
away skirts (think lamp-
shade), thick braiding de-
tails and collars or cuffs en-
crusted with chunky crystal
beading.
Her years of showing on
the haute couture calendar
were apparent in the well-
executed pleating and the
beaded embellishments
seen on a number of looks.
And there were a few out-
fits that hinted at Hash’s
history of deconstructing
men’s suiting: the all-in-one
workmen’s jumpsuits and,
SONIA RYKIEL CELINE in particular, one asymmet-
rical dress that coolly

W ith the enduring 1970s hit ‘‘Mellow Yellow’’ —

‘‘I’m just mad about Saffron’’ — on the
soundtrack, Sonia Rykiel showed her colors: yellow in
shades from mustard to sunflower and, indeed, saffron
— used in different ways from knits to velvet dresses.
The signature sweaters were made with trompe l’oeil
bows that are as old as Elsa Schiaparelli’s original idea
in the 1920s. But this time around the ribbons and ties
morphed from knitted images into real-life belts and
bows.
The other theme was butterflies, which meant
jeweled pieces in the hair, butterfly sleeves and flutter-
ing chiffon dresses patterned with dots and huge com-
puter-enhanced flowers. Rykiel walked the runway
A t Celine, the task for the designer Ivana Omazic
was not too challenging: to make simple, energetic
modern clothes as a foil for accessories — and some-
darkened from a light gray
to a deep blue.
While an attempt to cre-
times she did. Sure the multicolored patent sandals ate a bit of interest with
with yellow, turquoise and pink straps would drown pucker-fronted tops to out-
out any outfit. And when a petrol blue dress came out, line the breast did not work
it was fighting with a shiny yellow bag and pink shoes. as well as it could have, the
The idea of clothes as a canvas is a plus in this ac- designer should be proud of
cessories-conscious age — especially in a house where her lovely first outing onto
the image is about easy-to-wear pieces, not high-design the ready-to-wear circuit.
concepts. Yet getting the strong and powerful look that — Jessica Michault ANNE VALERIE HASH
is based on ease seemed to defeat the designer. The
bland white top and skirt that opened the show did not
make much of a statement. It was the same story for the

with her daughter Nathalie, surrounded by a swarm of
the light gowns worn by models who danced and
smiled through the finale.
— Suzy Menkes
Olympic salute
white silk jersey dresses that followed. The big, bold
bags were the focus of attention. HAIDER ACKERMANN
The collection just needed a little more pep or a ven- Photographs by Chris Moore/Karl Prouse
ture into more concrete design than skirts with gentle
volume or geometric appliqués on a bodice. As it was,

Mysterious woman
gaudy colors and timid design made a weak combina-
tion. — Suzy Menkes

Back to nature From Page I

F rom reptilian spines climbing up shoes to mol-

lusks encrusted on evening purses, the Roger
Vivier collection was an ode to nature.
ing it with pants was firm but stern. The rigor was exemplary,
yet the tailoring teamed with easy sweatshirts to bring relief to
working women who want blazer jackets and normal pants.
Taking the approach of the jeweler René Lalique Yet the overall simplicity was somehow tripped up — liter-
— that no living creature is too ugly to transform ally, in the case of awkward, ultrahigh pin-heels.
into something beautiful — the designer Bruno A flowing dress suddenly dropped down at the back, as
Frisoni gave the luxe treatment to all things great though the hem had accidentally been ripped by one of those
and small. killer shoes.
There were flowers, of course — lush roses But the most jarring part of the collection was the focus on
whorled on the front of shoes, high-heeled or flat. the logo in a season when that overt branding has been almost
Feathers were brushed across shoes and bags that nonexistent.
were elongated in shape, the better to accommo- ‘‘It’s all about icons,’’ Pilati said backstage, greeting an im-
date the plumes. pressive lineup from Kristen Scott Thomas, utterly refined in a
Sea urchins might seem an unlikely element in white pantsuit, and Catherine Deneuve with the YSL clan of
this most luxurious of shoe emporiums, yet their Pierre Bergé and Betty Catroux.
prickly jeweled spikes took on elegant facets as The show was also all about light, from its powerful set of giant
they clung to the back of a wooden heel. In fact, the tungsten balloons to symbols of stars on anything from the weave
‘‘wood’’ was created of a fabric to mirrored pieces. Pilati called them ‘‘universal sym-
out of leather, but bols of life, light and dreams.’’ But light they were not when they
given a grainy sur- formed a hard, reflective casing on a bodice.
face with a protrud- What the designer has going for him is that he is designing for
ing thorn to suggest grown women in a world of little-girl images. From elegant
that it had been overalls to body-skimming dresses shaped with darts in ether-
carved from a tree eal pale mauve and rain-washed sky blue, the collection rever-
branch. berated with sense and sensibility. A navy vest like a three-
Other examples of quarter coat will surely be a top seller. But after a winter season
fastidious handwork when the brand seemed to flow into a new era, this show looked
included twisted awkward rather than effortless.
silken ropes as shoe
RUE DU MAIL Haider Ackermann had the word for his woman — but only
straps and others in French. ‘‘Lointain,’’ he said, searching for the translation as
used as belts with
dangling coral. But
the Vivier collection
T he plasticized finishes reflecting from gauzy fab-
rics gave an extra layer of interest to the Rue du
Mail collection. Played out in summery colors like
‘‘distant’’ but meaning rather someone unattainable, unreach-
able, with a mysterious and sensual quality.
Perhaps she was a modern mermaid, for Ackermann sent out
was not all natural dandelion yellow, peach and green — with just a dash of a beautiful collection shimmering with slithering fabrics that
fibers; Frisoni also a darker plum — the designer Martine Sitbon made her ran liquid across the body in folds of toga drapes or they wafted
used manmade ma- favored dresses her canvas. transparent, like puffy clouds. Yet these were not insubstantial
terials. Two pairs of pants with the current slouchy look and clothes. The designer reworked the currently fashionable jodh-
‘‘But I like any- with full pockets barely challenged the dresses cut in JEAN-CHARLES DE CASTELBAJAC pur pants that he was the first to explore in his collections.
thing plastic to be- layers of ultralight fabrics, with industrial zippers at the These came in a soft, sparkling material the color of bruised
come luxurious,’’
he said.
— Suzy Menkes
back to cut the sweetness and with intriguing decora-
tion like miniscule pleats on the bodice.
Sitbon expressed her creativity in other ways, show-
J ean-Charles de Castelbajac is ready and raring to go
for the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
Classic sportswear got national pride as flags sparkled
plums or were sportier, with a band gathering below the knees.
With them would go precise jackets, sometimes shaped with di-
agonal seams across the back.
ing coats with a cape effect on the sleeve. If the circle across tops, gold metals were given a practical use as big Dresses were draped and fluid. In fact, the entire collection
patterns and plastic finishes had a hint of Marni, the buttons and laurel wreaths became a must-have headgear. looked as though it were flowing over the body, producing a fine
designer integrated these looks into her collection, Even the iconic Olympic rings were hijacked by the de- show from a designer who is moving ahead each season.
which will go on sale at her newly opened Paris signer to spell out his own special message: LOVE.
Courtesy of Roger Vivier boutique at 5 rue de Mail, in the Second Arrondisse- — Jessica Michault Suzy Menkes is the fashion editor at the International Herald
ment. — Suzy Menkes Tribune.

gucci.com