By
Alex Fury,
20:45 Wed 10 Mar 2010
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Here's my shot of that sci-fi sixties tunnel at the head of the Hermes catwalk - just before Lily Cole did her Emma Peel number to open Jean Paul Gaultier's latest collection of slick John Steed inspired mens-for-womens suiting. At the moment I am typing up my final report from Paris - Richard Nicoll's chic Cerruti debut, a treat for beige-blinded eyes in mouthwatering shades of blue and scarlet - that brings our excusrion to the French fashion capital, and the Autumn/Winter 2010 show season as a whole, to a close. I wish I could think of an eloquently pithy bon mot to summarise, but frankly I'm spent. More from me the other side of La Manche.
By
Alex Fury,
23:48 Tue 09 Mar 2010
Further to my last post, and to my Collections report on the Alexander McQueen show, I thought it was worth sharing an excerpt from an email I just wrote to thank the McQueen team for inviting me to this evening's presentations:
Lots of people in fashion feel they are 'entitled' to see something, to sit somewhere, to be someone. I felt incredibly privileged and happy to have been able to see this collection first-hand. It is something I will remember and cherish forever.
I'm not an overwhelmingly emotional person, especially when it comes to fashion, but today's show was hard to leave without shedding a tear. I made it to the courtyard.
Although the clothes - exquisitely wrought, perfectly conceived and impeccably realised - spoke to me aesthetically, I was touched equally by the attitude of the McQueen team, the profound respect they showed for Lee McQueen's memory and their bravery in continuing his work under the most difficult of circumstances.
By
Alex Fury,
21:15 Tue 09 Mar 2010
I have just leapt slightly out of synch to record my impressions of Lee Alexander McQueen's final collection under his own label while fresh in my mind, and therefore ahead of my coverage of the days other shows. This was, in effect, a unique show - a collection shown in tribute to its creator, to cement his legacy and celebrate his soaring gift and truly unique talent.
The programme notes - brief and poignant - will be much-quoted in coming days. And rightly so. The last line is a perfect summary of the collection, the career and indeed the life of Lee Alexander McQueen.
'Each piece is unique, as was he.'
By
Alex Fury,
16:32 Tue 09 Mar 2010
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Despite the label's somewhat chi-chi reputation as purveyor of ruffled cocktail perfection, Valentino is this season projecting surreal film montages onto the backdrop of their catwalk. Maybe another trip into the future from the successors to the Sheik of Chic, as with their Avatar-inspired January haute couture collection? We'll find out very soon.
By
Alex Fury,
09:45 Tue 09 Mar 2010
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Frankly this is the last invitation I expected to request here in Paris, but it's true: Thierry Mugler, of sculpted cyber suit infamy, is once again showing here in Paris. Granted I don't think Monsieur Mugler is at the helm anymore, but given the sheer number of designers currently referencing his arch eighties fantasia as antidote to our doldroms (although alas not reviving that Harley Davidson handlebar bustier) the time seems opportune. First I'm off to a re-see of last night's Yves Saint Laurent collection, and later we'll be seeing collections by Chloe, Valentino and a salon presentation of the final collection created by Alexander McQueen before his death last month.
By
Alex Fury,
16:24 Mon 08 Mar 2010
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It's an unbelievable day six here in Paris, and I have seen and reviewed about thirty collections already. Here is my take on what I have seen thusfar - apologies for the darkness of video, but hope you enjoy the picturesque Rive Gauche backdrop!
By
SHOWstudio,
15:26 Mon 08 Mar 2010
We've barely seen our Fashion Director Alexander Fury this year, since Autumn/Winter 2010 Fashion Weeks have led him astray to Paris, New York, London and Milan, some twice around. Our catwalk photographer Chris Moore has been with him all the way, providing brilliant images to accompany Alex's sterling reports, both of which are uploaded into our Collections archive in lightning speed, post show.
You can read all the reviews in full and view the complete image galleries and catwalk videos, including the latest shows from Paris RTW: Stella McCartney, John Galliano, Hussein Chalayan, Givenchy and must have ticket of the season, Celine, here.
By
Alex Fury,
15:20 Mon 08 Mar 2010
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Prize for prettiest invite of the week undoubtedly goes to this shrink-wrapped floral number from Kenzo, evidently celebrating their 40th birthday in style. After our unceremonious blacklisting from Emanuel Ungaro (apparently Lohan free after just one season), our first show of the day was Giambattista Valli - a gallant attempt by the patron saint of the ruffled cocktail frock to pare down for Autumn/Winter. His frill-seeking fans shouldn't fret too much - judging by his Charles James alike finale gowns they can still go to get their Valli of the Dolls fix chez Giambattista.
By
Alex Fury,
18:48 Sun 07 Mar 2010
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Nothing guarantees a fabulous review like chocolate. Well, at least in my book. These cleverly-branded melt-in-the-mouth chocolates at Veronique Branquinho's first Delvaux presentation take the biscuit for best fashion nibble of Autumn/Winter 2010, hands down.
By
Alex Fury,
15:11 Sun 07 Mar 2010
Image via phone:
Here is my snap of the opening blast of faux-exhaust and flash of car headlights that heralded the start of Hussein Chalayan's Autumn/Winter show, after a short tribute to his contemporary Lee McQueen. 'Mirage' was the title of the collection - literally written across the models' faces in giant sunglasses (without the glass). We're now surging ahead to Sonia Rykiel and John Galliano, while Givenchy ends the day.
By
Alex Fury,
12:26 Sun 07 Mar 2010
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Here is a peek inside the 'trend book' placed on each and every seat at Celine to help illustrate Phoebe Philo's feeling for the coming season. I've chosen perhaps the most self-explanatory of images - the rest are more abstract black and white shots, naked bodies entwined on the cover and even, I swear, a flash of Mickey Mouse. The fascinating thing is to see just how Philo synthesises these into a coherent whole. The show is on soon.
By
Alex Fury,
23:55 Sat 06 Mar 2010
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Here is the final finale of today, from Stuart Vevers' luxer-than-luxe bourgeoise chic collection for Loewe. My review is now up, alongside all todays other shows, and after another marathon day I'm catching up on my beauty sleep in time for Kaiser Karl's latest offerings for his eponymous line at ten tomorrow. More from me in the morning...
By
Alex Fury,
16:59 Sat 06 Mar 2010
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The crowd is packed into just about the tightest venue of the week for Comme des Garcons. We're on the floor, on the benches, on boxes and practically in the rafters. If the walls were scaleable, that would become a fact no doubt. Show's about to begin!
By
Alex Fury,
12:54 Sat 06 Mar 2010
Image via phone:
As I left for Viktor and Rolf, I suddenly realised how similar the invites are for Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano's respective Autumn/Winter shows - both opting for fictional maps of foreign lands, which one can only interpret as indication of the collections to come. Gaultier's show is tonight, and he's placed his own eponymous country on the map as a meeting point between China, India, Morocco, Georgia and Mexico to name but few.
By
Alex Fury,
10:11 Sat 06 Mar 2010
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It's barely turned 11am here in Paris, but we've already seen shows from two major talents - a typically poetic show from Haider Ackermann, and Junya Watanabe's idiosyncratic take on the military trend, with puffed-out Christian Missionary shapes in a camouflage palette of browns and khakis as showcased above. It's the fourth day of Paris fashion week - meaning we have reached the halfway mark. Nevertheless, we have another five shows coming up today, from Viktor & Rolf, Ann Demeulemeester, Comme des Garçons, Jean Paul Gaultier and to close Loewe by Stuart Vevers, slated to start late late late this evening.
By
Alex Fury,
17:46 Fri 05 Mar 2010
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You couldn't get more removed from the usual blank banks of uniform seating than Margiela's mish-mash of mismatching chairs clustered around a higgledy piggledy runway. A lovely change for our final show of the day - plus my chair has a velour cushioned seat. Heaven!
By
Alex Fury,
16:55 Fri 05 Mar 2010
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Barely time to tweet from Vivienne Westwood, let alone blog! Here is a snap of the child's drawing that graced the Westwood invite - and is actually a fairly accurate depiction of the collection itself (including, alas, oversized cardboard crowns). On to Lanvin, which is held in the same venue as Westwood, albeit a different hall, and then another quick switch in the same place once more for Maison Martin Margiela.
By
Alex Fury,
14:41 Fri 05 Mar 2010
Image via phone:
Apologies for the picture but this is the closest Dior's brusque cadre of security would let me get to Michael Howell's backdrop for Dior's show - a stable mews, albeit set at the top of a magnificent catwalk in the Tuileries. John Galliano's collection itself is inspired, as with the couture, by riding habits and Christian Dior's love of english tweeds, although this time there's a hint of eighteenth century libertine. Let's see how it shapes up.
By
Alex Fury,
13:28 Fri 05 Mar 2010
Image via phone:
What is it with Parisian designers and flashy venues? First Dries Van Noten managed to snag the magnificent Hotel de Ville's ballroom, and today Bernhard Willhelm showed at the Salon d'Honneur of the Palais de la Bourse, the home of the Paris stock exchange. 'Show' was certainly the word, as although there was no catwalk presentation per se (irritating many who had schlepped at warp speed only to be met by a thronging mass waiting to be admitted to the tiny space), Willhelm staged a series of surreal vignettes to blaring dance music and the staccato pulse of automated flash units. The clothes were his usual mix of poppy preschool coloured seperates, easy cotton and jersey dresses and demented styling - think plastic porcupine-quill mohicans, make-up splattered faces and glittery tears. Not sure exactly what this has to do with the economy though...
By
Alex Fury,
11:42 Fri 05 Mar 2010
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At London Fashion Week, an indignant and rather unpleasant Frenchman barked throughout the Louise Goldin show that, in Gay Paree, they would never show in such an ' 'ell 'ole', as they have a specially-built complex beneath the Louvre. Indeed, they do - but unfortunately said complex is riddled with logistical problems, is necessarily seated in a rigid hierarchy and offers very little in way of artistic interpretation. Hence, the venue has been eschewed by the vast majority of designers (three days into Paris, we're sat at our first show in the multi-billion franc Carousel halls) in favour of a setting more fitting to their aesthetic. Issey Miyake, on the other hand, evidently sees the aseptic space of the Carousel du Louvre as more of a challenge than a chore to stamp their brand identity on. This season, it is filled with the imposing structure above, inspired by the mathematical work of Professor William Thurston and the passage of a flat piece of fabric to volume. Quite neccessarily, this is also the idea behind the Autumn/Winter collection.
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