Paris Spring 2011

Balenciaga

by Nicolas Ghesquière

Stark, crisp cottons in couture shapes 

that buckled high around the neck.

The cocooning shape.

Pied de coq / Houndstooth check coats 

made from plastic-y faux leather.

Wet-looking, plasticized textures.

One-shoulder toga dresses 

re-worked from Balenciaga in the 1960s.

Hand-painted lace — pink with blue, purple and orange.

Metal-tipped collars.

Men’s shirts worn loose, tucked in one side.

Multi-zippered vest in pastel-toned snakeskin.

Breastplates worn under light chiffon shirts.

Hard-core grommet belts slung around the hips. 

Classic men’s creeper with studded soles.

Ski boot-inspired in electric blue metallic leather.

Balmain

by Christophe Decarnin

Skintight lamé pants rolled-up above the ankle.

Blood-red dye.

Safety pins and studs enriched pelmet skirts & hot-pants.

Torn fishnets. 

Tattered stars-and-stripes tanks & frayed micro-shorts.

Padlock on a chain. 

Studded and safety-pinned leather jackets.

Candy stripes over prints on bleached-out jeans.

Pinned leather bustier top paired with ripped jeans.

Leather biker jackets covered with safety pins and crystals.

Rick Owens

Cutaway jackets & vests in paper-thin leather 

topped high-waisted full cotton skirts.

Sleeveless cape in silk cotton canvas 

with a face-framing collar. 

Cut-away halterneck top in moss green.
 

A new shape of leather jacket

Frock tail at the back and mid crop at the front.

Short dresses with plain bodices over folded gazar skirts.

Loose Grecian pleats and a yoked neckline.

Hair combs of bone.

Ruffled tulle at the ankle or shin straps tied with bows.

Paris Spring 2011

Dries Van Noten

Faded floral prints, inspired by Chinese porcelain.

Wide-leg, patch-pocket trousers in cotton 

and matching oversize blazers. 

A belted canvas coat. 

The boyfriend-plus jackets.

Overscaled double-breasted jackets with rolled-up sleeves.

Ombré effects.

Pink-fading-to-blush jacket over a white pencil skirt.

Blue coat over a peach shirt
and jeans in a wash from green to peach.

A skirt with sleeves tied in front.

Cream tux jacket over pants coated with iridescent sequins.

Elaborate embroidery for a crafted coat, 

tossed over a sheer shirt and wide pants.

The hologram sheen of clutches and narrow belts.

 Rochas

 by Marco Zanini

Prints based on Scandinavian folk art by Slotts Barbro.

Pannier-skirted strapped dress.

A boxy, rolled-sleeve cardigan jacket and below-the-knee dirndl.

A peplum vest over a puffed-sleeve blouse.

Drop-waist dresses —  in faded blue with white underskirts 

in deep purple blue worn with black tights.

Silk slip dresses in cream, navy and floral prints.

Head combs & Head kerchief            Men's knee socks.

 Forties ankle-strap platforms.

Nina Ricci

by Peter Copping

A cotton trench over a pleated tutu froth of ivory chiffon.

 Unembellished femininity.
 Ivory crepe shirtwaist dress.
Soft pink sheath.

 Vivid colors —acid yellow, shocking pink, cherry, and purple.

A black dress and skirt crisscrossed with asymmetric lace. 

Watercolor floral print.

 

Milan Spring 2011

Jil Sander

by Raf Simons

 Basic cotton tees topped floor-sweeping skirts 

in hyper acidic colors.

 Primary-color peplums at the hips.

 Full-blown floral print.

A T-shirt paired with a full skirt in a techno taffeta.

 

 Calf-length dresses 

with vertical or horizontal stripes.

 Evening Coat     1952 

Hints of Cristóbal Balenciaga in the billowing parkas.

 A navy parka wrapped a strapless bubble 

of Japanese techno taffeta.

Voluminous full-length parka in electric violet.

 Green cargo jacket with a pink tank 

and pleated yellow palazzo pants.

A violet blouson over a gown in fluoro orange.

 “A mille-feuille of color” 

A red coat layered over pink and orange jackets.

A reflective stripe at the back.

 Massive mirrored sunglasses.

Phosphorous-green techno-cotton.

Striped nylon shopping tote.

 

Slingbacks and pumps 

with a dash of neon orange at the sole.

Marni

by Consuelo Castiglioni

 Hyper-colored, techy sportif collection.

Mix of high-tech fibers - neoprene and nylon 

with leather, silk and lace.

 Perforated leather coats over biking shorts in neon orange.
 

 Athletic mesh in side panels, shoulders, and backs.

 A racing top with diagonal stripes 
over shorts with mismatched stripes 
wrapped in a honeycomb-printed asymmetric ruffled skirt.

A crocheted organza shift 

over the top-and-shorts combination.

 Lace-up roomy dress in pink and orange floral print.
A peplum top over a flounced miniskirt.

Industrial zips        Black piping       Macro-paillettes

Woven leather bags. 

Two-tone leather aviator skull cap. 

Bottega Veneta

by Tomas Maier

Sporty top in chalky white perforated suede.

Tank top and easy, ankle-strapped pants.

Jersey linen dresses spliced at the shoulders 
with mesh insets.

Roomy, to-the-floor, color-blocked liquid jersey dresses.

A silk jacket and a high-waist silk skirt. 
The power suit was replaced by relaxed two-piecers.

    Flat leather sandals.
Intrecciato bags. 
        Peep-toe suede booties.