Dries Van Noten
This show marked Dries Van Noten's 100th show and it was a celebration of the brand's history. As always with a Dries collection the tailoring was on point, but the star of the show this season was the plethora of colour and print. Palm prints spliced up and mixed with geo's, and circular motifs layered over micro florals. A visual feast for the eye's. Rich velvet, luxe fur and metallics added to the line-up of decadent eveningwear. One of the best collections from the season!
Balmain
The theme for Olivier Rousteing's AW17 offering was 'Gods of Rock' and was all about excess...but when is is not with Balmain? Dresses which were embellished to the nines, dripping in sequins and chains. Remember the humble wolf motif teed from the 90s? Well it was back this season at Balmain, and is sure to big sartorial hit with the fashion crowd. Elsewhere we saw; velvet, snakeskin, leather shearling, mohair, tie-dye, grommets and killer over-the-knee suede boots. This was Balmain doing grunge in only a way Balmain could.
Loewe
Over at Loewe, Jonathan Anderson continues to deliver ultra desirable collections. Whilst inspiration may have been drawn from a number of different places, the full collection was coherent. Wishlist knits with geo intarsia's, structured leather separates, feather hems, silk patchwork dresses and delicate lace insert dresses. The emphasis on texture and application was clear to see. I particularly like the injection of plaid and nondescript prints.
Alexander McQueen
A strong element of nature came through in this collection, with references to Cornwall. Patchwork dresses were inspired by women who sewed samplers many centuries ago - placing a strong emphasis on tradition and craft. The result was a show that wowed the audience with it's attention to detail, dense embroidery and couture level techniques. A colour palette of strong red, black and white made a powerful impact on the runway. Highlights included whipstitched leather dresses. All hail Sarah burton!
Maison Margiela
John Galliano's collection for Margiela was a lesson in experimenting. Layering of the most exquisite embellished and embroidered separates created a pretty visual spectacular. Inspiration came from America, but was interpreted in an ultra high fashion way and if you deconstructed the outfits the pieces were in fact very wearable. Rich injections of colour modernised traditional tweeds and knitwear. Frayed hems created an artisan feel.
Balenciaga
The key look from Demna Gvasalia's latest Balenciaga offering was the asymmetric coat fastenings, of which there were plenty. Granted this was quite a fashion forward look, but what else would you expect from Balenciaga these days? More oversized silhouettes and exaggerated shoulders, which had an almost couture feel to them and yet felt so very 'street style' at the same time. Gvasalia isn't afraid to push boundaries and experiment with bold colour, which is why this collection worked so well. The vintage-style prints were also back for Fall, having been a big hit for SS17. The accessories were also seriously on point!
Louis Vuitton
Nicolas Ghesquiere presented his latest LV collection at the Lourve (the fashion brand was personally invited to show here). Fur was one of the key looks, and came in different natural patterns on full length and cropped jackets. Leather pants were back for Fall, a big hit for the brand, and they were teamed with biker jackets and shirts. Standout dresses were constructed from printed metallic silks and patched together with lace, adding subtle hints of colour and femininity to the fairly 'tough' collection. On closer inspection, denim was in fact wool - a brilliant fashion forward technique. Overall the collection had a nonchalant and sometimes sporty feel.
Nina Ricci
Guillaume Henry drew inspiration from America for his Fall collection. Western influences came in the form of star motifs and rodeo prints - unchartered territory for the French brand. Cowboy-style shirts were also present. but the soft pastels colours ensured the overall was still feminine. Rich fabrics included: corduroy, lace, leather, sequins and fur. Individual separates were very wearable. I like this change in direction from the brand.
Sonia Rykiel
Art is a key source of inspiration for many designers, and for Fall the Sonia Rykiel collection was inspired by the artist Niki de Saint Phalle. The French artist was a sculptor and painter, whose work was vivid in its colouring - the reference clear to see here. Oversized silhouettes with hand-rendered embroidery made a strong impact, as did chunky Aran knits woven with thick yarn. Ostrich feather trims added an extra dimension to the collection.
Miu Miu
As always with Miu Miu, there is an element of kitsch - this season that came in the form of shaggy fur and psychedelic vintage prints. This was a maximalist approach to Fall dressing, but done in a desirable way. Baker boy hats also made a comeback (definitely an big accessories trend to look out for next season). The jackets were the show stealers - they came knitted, quilted, patent and with fur collars. A riot of colour was also seen on the runway.
That concludes my city by city review of the A/W 17 collections.
Stay tuned to my blog for a series of A/W 17 trend reports...coming very soon!
Phillippa x
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