Jean Paul Gaultier's swan song for Hermes was a leather-filled, equestrian-focused, highly streamlined collection that we would imagine caters very well to those with Western fetishes. To put it another way, it was form-fitting, sleek and carefully tailored - or all we imagine the label to be. Gaultier drew steeply on the line's heritage in his last runway show for Hermes before Christophe Lemaire takes over, and we have to say, we'll miss his instincts to pull from the past.
If you had to remember one piece from the collection, then it should be the leather basque, which turned up in a variety of looks - even over the few voluminous blouses Gaultier added to the predominantly silhouette-skimming range. The Wild West leather jackets and blazers on the Hermes runway seemed a more translatable version of Ralph Lauren's Western pieces from the New York shows. But whether or not we'll be seeing copies of it on the high street, we like Karlie Kloss' black bondage-inspired number the best. After all, nothing helps a designer go down in history like a little sex appeal.
It's hard to be objective when you're watching a Lanvin show. Season after season Alber Elbaz gives us a collection of pieces that we actually want to wear (or at least dream of ever getting to wear) and brings drama and theatrics in bucket loads.
Elbaz always brings something new but manages to have a common thread running from collection to collection. This season he continued to play with hardware and pagan metalwork, using it on cuffs, belts and on statement necklaces. Models looked like warriors ready for battle with strong embellishment on asymmetric and halter neck dresses. Clearly, the Lanvin girl isn't a shrinking violet. Need more evidence? The designer sent Freja Beha Erchisen down the runway in a cropped dark coloured jacket, simple grey top and black shorts all heavily embellished with metalwork. "I'm the baddest bitch on the block," Janet Jackson told Style.com about the persona she embodies when wearing the brand.
But as you would expect, it wasn't all warrior woman. Elbaz played with soft lightweight fabrics on loose and relaxed fit floor length maxi dresses. Sheer asymmetric dresses in deep reds or greens and aubergines played with the recurring dark romantic theme that we expect from the designer, with statement jewellery adding a hard edge. Bandage dresses appeared, particularly on a two-tone red dress and was a lot more classy than the styles that have dominated the runway for the last few seasons.
The colour palette was varied. The show opened with neutrals like a oversized taupe cropped sleeve top teamed with tailored trousers and brown leather sandals but later developed into hot pinks on mini dresses and fluorescent yellow tops teamed with black skirts and a bright red Grecian one shoulder gown worn by Karlie Kloss.
We're going to look beside the fact that Zac Posen picked the same runway venue where Yves Saint Laurent used to show (YSL is a hallowed name around these offices) and focus on just the clothes here. For his Spring '11 collection, Posen - who showed his lower-priced Z Spoke line in New York - hopped the pond to Paris Fashion Week, where he presented a boudoir-inspired set of looks that added feathers and extra ruffles to his signature quirky, wasp-waisted offerings. Sheer panels, cut-outs and lots of cocktail frocks should keep his social-circuit-loving fanbase appeased this March.
What caught our eye, however, was the casting of Posen's runway show. In a season when everyone's talking about diversity - and how we might have missed the mark - it was pleasing to see a designer seem to try racial inclusivity. Karlie Kloss opened the show; Jourdan Dunn closed. Also in Posen's model ranks were the likes of Fei Fei Sun, Rose Cordero, Kinee Diouf - and even Crystal Renn, the blogosphere's favourite ambassador for "plus-size" models. Intentional or not? You be the judge. We just know we're sick of clones, and Posen's show gave us a break.
While many people headed to Barney's to see Tavi hit the karaoke with Karlie Kloss, even more went to Madwell's Fashion's Night Out offerings last night on the chance of spotting Alexa Chung. Fans of her collection for the brand can strangely thank the closure of Luella she revealed last night. "Once Luella closed down, I'm telling you, I was gutted," she said. "There was absolutely nothing to wear. So I just had to start making my own clothes".
Meredith Melling Burke and Hamish Bowles are not the only fashion figures appearing in 'Gossip Girl'. Yesterday it was confirmed that Karlie Kloss will also make an appearance.
The latest season - which premieres on the 13th September - will see Kloss playing herself at a Fashion's Night Out Meeting. According to sources, the model has a small talking role and will be joined in the meeting by characters Lily Van Der Woodsen and Eleanor Waldorf who are on the planning committee.
Alexander Wang isn't the only person dropping a campaign this week. Proenza Schouler launched their first ever campaign this week and chose Tati Cotilar who walked in the designers' Autumn/Winter 10' show and twin up-and-coming stars, Ann and Kirby Kenny. The campaign sees the girls donning dark romantic lips and a scowl that would make Karlie Kloss proud.
While the usual faces appeared on the runways of this Couture Fashion Week, one bright young star beat her veteran model competition to top spot - Karlie Kloss, who closed for Armani Privé as well as opening both Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Dior. Quite a feat for such a young model, she beat Carmen Kass, who opened for Michael Kors and Armani Privé, and Karolina Kurkova, who strode onto the catwalk first at Elie Saab.
Unusually for Chanel, the opening outfit was sported by Natasha Poly as opposed to the usual likes of Freja Beha Erichsen, Heidi Mount or Abbey Lee, and the show was closed by Iris Strubegger alongside Lagerfeld favourite Baptiste Giabiconi. Being the new face for the brand, it was unsurprising that Freja opened for Valentino, but overall it was still Kloss that topped the couture charts this season.
There was very much an air of old Hollywood glamour throughout Jean Paul Gaultier's Fall Couture collection - the obvious signs screamed screen siren: the cigarette holders, the scarlet lips, the cinched in waists - whilst sheer fabrics, some recognisable cone breasts and infamous Gaultier lingerie detailing added an edge of seduction.
The show began well, with Karlie Kloss epitomising Parisian chic in a black garbadine trench, it's structure reconfigured with a belted waist and billowing batwing sleeves, and the for the most part the collection continued in all its glamour. At times, however, it seemed to be a little confused - two shearling jackets not dissimilar to those seen on the Burberry catwalk seemed odd in the mix of satins and silks - although the pace picked back up when the Gaultier treated the audience to a surprise strip show from Dita Von Teese, who seductively peeled off her black outfit to reveal a sexy waist-cinching corset, bringing the audience to cheer and applaud as she sauntered off the catwalk.
