Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Paris Fashion Week Fall 2012 - Part One

Paris Fashion Week
Fall 2012 Favourites
Part One

Paris is the last stop on our Fall 2012 Fashion Week tour. These are the some of my favourite collections so far. Click to enlarge pictures.


Giambattista Valli
Giambattista Valli established a unique compatibility between heavier knits and flimsy chiffon for Fall 2012. What began in the ashes of black and grey, lit up into a fiery stream of burnt orange and flame red. Chunky sweaters were paired with pencil skirts, drop-waist dresses were hemmed with fur, pleating was sheer and patterns aplenty. The show culminated with wide-belted gowns in striking superimposed geometric prints.


Haider Akermann
Haider Akermann is an architect of innovative new cuts and awe-inspiring sculptural designs. His Fall collection is tinted with shades of an Autumn day; in roasted chestnut, a heap of fallen leaves in every shade of orange, russet woods & sage green. Structured peplum jackets were sternly belted, silk blouses peeked under draped wool, high-waisted pants were framed by moulded leather coats & dresses were ingeniously gathered to yield a folded capelet shape. 

Balmain
Balmain's winter offering was laid from an ornate FabergĂ© egg, richly embellished with crystals and glistening pearls. Sumptuous velvets and brocade traced Baroque influences, while slick leather trousers and oversized quilted vests signaled modern rock-chick. Navy blue and forest green coloured in a black, white and metallic palette. Shiny gold belts were recurrent throughout the collection, shaping the boxy silhouettes. Casual sweaters and slim-fit pants grounded the otherwise lavish looks.  

Cacharel
Cacharel's Fall collection took flight from the 20's, with intrepid pilot Amelia Earhart at the helm. A serene blue sky of feminine coats and suits were dotted with clouds of white, red and yellow. Silhouettes were more relaxed with patterned palazzo pants, slouchy jumpsuits, polo-neck and belted dresses and cozy knits. The retro-aviatrix looks were accompanied by aviator caps, long leather gloves, cute coloured tights and red and yellow heels.

Christian Dior
What attracted me most to Christian Dior's Fall collection was the dreamy shades of pastels, pink and grey. Skirts, narrow and 50's style flair were all nipped in the waist, paired with peplum jackets and tops with knotted-necklines. Fitted knit caps, ankle-strap pumps and long leather gloves accented each look. In the meridian of this hazy range, were a resplendent few evening gowns with diaphanous skirts and a standout neon pink prima ballerina dress.

Dries van Noten
Hats off to Dries van Noten for taking the mundanity out of the conventional suit and breathing new, exotic life into it. His inventive use of prints are tailored to perfection with a slight Oriental influence this Fall. A bricolage of prints were printed onto silk dresses, longer-length tunics and wool trench coats. Narrow trousers were worn underneath pleated skirts. Brightly hued fur capes added texture to the masculine silhouettes. This is a collection we will see tumble down from the catwalk onto the stylish sidewalks of the everyday girl.

Lanvin
Lanvin's Fall presentation opened with a rainbow of cocktail dresses, flounced on the waist or frilled on the collar. The mood turned darker, with sexy draped and frocks and black and grey bejewelled mini's. Curve-enhancing dresses were punctuated with lavish necklaces, colourful fur stoles, belts and opera gloves (which seem to be a favourite this fashion week). Edgy elegance to appease the glamour-seeking girl with rockstar chic. 

Nina Ricci
Nina Ricci dresses up Parisian romance with a sense of nostalgia for Fall 2012. Designer Peter Copping proposes the idea of assembling an outfit from a treasure chest of clothes you would find in your grandmother's attic. A pretty pastel pink and berry-hued collection of silky slip dresses were blanketed by thick tweed coats. Lingerie-inspired cut-out frocks seduced with their innate feminine appeal, while deconstructed tulle dresses seemed to come undone. Fragments of lace, chiffon and tweed were pieced together, creating an arbitrary patchworked design. Again we see elbow-length gloves, only this time trimmed with fur. Sweetly seductive.

Part Two to Follow.

25 comments:

A Very Sweet Blog said...

I am LOVING the Christian Dior, Nina Ricci and Lanvin. GORGEOUS! :D
http://www.averysweetblog.com/

A Life Un-Styled said...

Surprisingly enough Haider Akermann was my pick. I loved the entire collection. I hope you had a great weekend Sam. Hoping the week ahead is a good one too! <3

VintageDanielle said...

The colors are absolutely stunning! My favorites include Ricci, Dior, and Lanvin

Gillie said...

You always have the best fashion week coverage! I especially love the Lanvin show!

xo Gillie

Marianna said...

Loved Valli's two red dress, such a fierce color and such a minimalistic design, loved Dior's gowns as well, Balmain may be my fave designer but left me unimpressed as did Haider Akermann. oh and loved the use of color in Lanvin

Alexandra said...

Ackermann totally did it for me! So stunning!

Alexandra ♥

http://tovogueorbust.com/

james said...

my heart stopped at Giambattista Valli <3

Ember Drake said...

I love the Nina Ricci collection (so dreamy and romantic!) and Lanvin's use of peplum! There are some really gorgeous dresses!

Em
x

http://emberdrake.blogspot.com

Rahul Bhatia said...

Lovely collections all, but Nina Ricci and Dior were really nice:)

ftashion said...

Thanks for sharing these lovely collections! I love Dior's lady like dresses and Balmain's printed jackets!

Ash :o)
ftashion

Denise said...

Wow, it happens that I wanted to name one or two or even three of the collections as my favorite, but I can't, I loved them all! Maybe not all the pieces in every collection, but certainly a lot in each one! And now I'm dreaming of them - if buying one item would leave one nearly bankrupt, imagine all of them! :) Glorious, fantastic collections!

Anonymous said...

I totally ADORE the way you present the collections!! It's amazing.. Vive Paris ;)

http://absolutelyfaaabulous.wordpress.com/

Teresa said...

my first impression of all the collections were: citrus

i see a lot of orange and yellow, but also blue-ish!

my fave combo is Balmain.. love the strange textures & prints<3

xx
teresa
www.trend-ish.com

Rowena @ rolala loves said...

I really love seeing pastels in some of these fall shows. The romantic ladylike glamour of Dior and Nina Ricci pretty much gets me every time.

Yes there are some very handsome faces in Korean cinema but they also produce some incredible films in that country :)

rolala loves

Daniella said...

Hi sweetie,Great post. Love your selections! Its almost to difficult to pick favourites though i do love love love the Haider Akermann collection,pure genius! :)

Take care,Daniella xox

Unknown said...

Oeeeeh such great collections! I would love to wear a dress from the Dior collection! That's absolutely my favourite collection of all these!

xxx Marloes

Thesmallnoble said...

I love the Dior Collection. The colors are absolutely stunning! (:
http://thesmallnoble.blogspot.com/

the-caramel-lady said...

Love this collection!
thanks for the comment on my blog :)

Sandra Leiva said...

Giambattista Valli and Dior are my faves!
Amazing collections <3

hautepinkpretty said...

I love how different every collection is!! <3 hautepinkpretty.com

escondidas en tu armario said...

all perfect!!
i love lanvin´s one!
kisses

maitane

Meenakshi (meen-ak-she) said...

OMG...i love the Blamin collection!

www.dashysassy.com

LaTasha Bunting said...

I LOVE Dior's collection! It's my faves! I LOVE the colors in Dior's collection and I LOVE the style of dresses in it! It's an awesome collection. I LOVE the color used in Lanvin collection as well! I LOVE the first set of dresses! :) Amazing post as usual love! :)

Love always,
LB
x0x0x0x

joy said...

I love all the pretty looks in Dior, it's my favorite collection :)

Jelena Zivanovic said...

Exquisite selection my dear Sam, as always!! I love Nina Ricci, CD, Lanvin and my favorite was Balmain!! Hope u're doing well!!!!
kisses & hugs

Jelena
glamfabchameleon.blogspot.com