Paris Couture Week Day 3 - July 2012

It's so short! Too short! And yet in only three days we get to see so many incredible collections, amazing pieces, and discover tomorrow's designer.

With the terrible heat of Paris the place we all dreamed of to see a show was a park with shades and On Aura Tout Vu did it, in the garden of the Palais Royal. "Somewhere Else Kingdom" was one the most eccentric collection seen this season: opulent, eye-catching, extravagant and so couture. In tones of black, white and red the duo designer presented their 20th collection in a celebration mood: sculptures over the head of the models, feathers on high waist A-line skirts worn with corset pearled tops, white fur, embroidered pants and even a classic organza dress transformed into a trashy queen piece once a black leather sleeve was added!

Frank Sorbier is known for always going as close as possible to the borders of fashion, and he proved it again with his FW12 Couture collection. More than a show, a set, in a Parisian theatre in which the scene had been transformed into a catwalk. When the lights were turned on, we didn't understand at once what was going on: a model in black moving her hand as if trying to hypnotize  a model dressed in a huge white dress (heaven and hell? Good and bad?). And then it started and the whole audience let a "oh" escape. Lightning on the white dress, as if turned into a movie screen: aquarium, floral animations or lines running around it. Then the full collection was presented, in tones of brown and black. A clock print high waist large dress was showed, as if to remember Sorbier is always ahead of his time.

Frank Sorbier Couture Show - 2012 July Paris Couture week

Frank Sorbier Couture Show - 2012 July Paris Couture week

Frank Sorbier Couture Show - 2012 July Paris Couture week

Elie Saab's collection, even if very predictable, was fantastic. No one knows how to dress a woman like him, and could you say the front row clients were already making their shopping list. The color palette (champagne, smoky gray, soft pink, sky blue and antiqued gold) was just the support to amazing crystal embroideries. Lace played a big part of the show and was enhanced by guipure, on long silk dresses. The bridal gown was simply stunning, made of organza embossed with gold brocade leaves.

Opulence is not Yiqing Yin thing, and his "Spring of Nuwa" was here to remind it. Structured, architectural pieces were presented in tones of grey and blue. Fabric was one of the main focus of the designer and this shiny rigid transparent plastic showed was simply fantastic and gave so much texture to the dress: maybe this is what couture really is about, innovation.

Didit Hediprasetyo showed a presentation in perfect coherence with his style and Indian inspirations: ostrich skin in tones of purple combined with fur, a perfect mix for a chic and original result. The wig and transparent blue contacts worn by the models as well as the live choir during the show added the dramatic touch to the show.

Jean Paul Gaultier and Valentino closed this last day of Couture week, the first one with a magic collection made of sculptured pieces so proper to Gaultier's style, the second one with a black, red and floral prints dominated collection on long evening dressed with boat neck and jumpsuits.

US model Karlie Kloss presents a creation by French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier during the Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2012-2013 collections shows in Paris.

It's always at the end of a such intense event that you wonder, what are the trends? Well this season, three of them are striking. Gold! It's everywhere, on jewels, used as aluminum to design dresses and even on shoes: back to a safe value.
Feathers were in every collection: on a dress, a coat, in the models's hair, we need them to give us an innocence and festive look.
Sober tones are over, unlike the previous seasons we dare bright colors: red and orange give life to our winter, and we won't complain about it!
Only six months left before the next Couture week, already looking forward to it!

by Samuel Schler

Image Courtesy of - On Aura Tout Vu,Frank Sorbier, Elie Saab, Yiqing Yin,Didit Hediprasetyo

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