While the rest of us struggle with the January blues, fashion is firmly in 2012 with couture season ending this week in Paris. Traditionally worn by socialites, couture’s fanbase has somewhat shifted over the years, taking in new pockets of wealth from around the globe. Once described as a dying art, haute couture has had a new lease of life in recent years with Hollywood coming to Paris, hungry for a taste of the most exclusive fashion in the world. The Armani Prive show got its very own Hollywood moment when Jessica Chastain got the Oscar call whilst seated in the front row. Armani has a long history in dressing Hollywood, and the Prive collection has proved incredibly popular. This season’s collection was tailor-made for starlets, with sequinned bodices and incredible beaded gowns in glorious shades of green. The silver chevron gown in particular was a winner, just begging for a chance to shine on the red-carpet.
The most controversial note of the week was struck by Jean Paul Gaultier. Forming an entire collection in tribute to singer Amy Winehouse, from the trademark peroxide sweep in the models’ beehived hair to the pencil skirts worn with attitude, this was a collection with a sole purpose. Celebrating Amy’s unique style, which so neatly dovetailed with her music, Gaultier may have hit the headlines but this act was far from cynical. Gaultier’s collection had a poignancy that hit you right between the eyes, asking us just one question – what if?
While JPG was exploring the past, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel was setting his sights squarely on the future. The light, airy feel of icy-blue and deepest navy formed the perfect backdrop for Lagerfeld’s newest take on femininity. Drop-waists on dresses, slouchy pockets and hair sculpted into sky-high quiffs – this was Chanel in familiar territory: boy meets girl. A welcome departure from Chanel’s previous post-apocalyptic seasons, this collection was bright, breezy and above all else, very, very cool.
Winning the prize for sheer number of hours spent on the sewing floor, Valentino’s design duo, Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri, took craftsmanship to the next level. With a reported 350 hours spent creating just one piece, the result was a couture show packed with ethereal, heart-stopping detail. Taffeta, lace and organza took centre stage but underpinning the whole collection was the reminder that these dream-like creations were made by hand. Ever y piece was so finely stitched, those who examined the pieces up close at the atelier, had to remind themselves that this was all human endeavour. Piccoli and Chiuri first made their name as accessory designers, and as they told www.style.com, they quickly learned how to ‘tell a big story with a small object.’ It is in the small details that the big picture comes to life, and this is the essence of couture. Piccoli and Chiuri understand very clearly how story-telling in fashion can come down to the smallest stitch.
With Chanel, Valentino, Armani and Versace appearing in such good health, it seems that reports of couture’s demise have been greatly exaggerated: in 2009, haute couture was deemed to be on the brink of extinction. After all, in a financial maelstrom, who would possibly want a blouse at £20,000? But three years later, couture is thriving thanks to new customers in China, Russia and beyond. There has been murmurs about whether this has led to a more consumer-friendly couture, rather than the wild, playful exploration of ideas it was ten years ago, but the deal with couture is that it can be both. From Riccardo Tisci’s Metropolis-inspired, highly restrained collection to the glamazon excesses at Versace, the beauty of couture is that there is room for every kind of expression. This is no time for half-measures – fashion needs diversity in order to survive. Couture is no longer about indulgence, but fearless, game-changing creativity. Haute Couture has evolved into an entirely different kind of animal, and its timing is perfect.
HELEN TOPE
designergirl77 