(NEW YORK) Céline
Phoebe Philo‘s collections at Céline are the kind that fashion insiders collectively hold their breath in a “what will she do next?” moment. Last season, it was about bursts of colorful paint strokes done so masterfully, the collection’s influence can still be seen on this season’s runways. For Fall, Philo changed the linear organization of white buttons on a black dress coat for the “Aha” moment everyone was waiting for. So simple, but so fresh and effective. Her influences this season were ‘30s era groundbreakers like Hannah Höch and Lee Miller. That meant that coats came tailored narrow at the waist with a bit of swing to the bottom. Other outstanding outerwear pieces came in varying shades of leopard print, a wool camel coat with a matching oversize fur belt, or a half black wool, half earth-toned degradé astrakhan coat. Philo is always about the woman that is strong and subtly sexy, so there were looks like a black off the shoulder top cut like a black blazer worn with black wide leg, slouchy pants or a brown long sleeveless tunic top that came up to the neck worn over an asymmetrical black skirt with a dangerously high slit. Both were topped with mustard yellow fur muffs; the latter came with a to-die-for lucite lavender and amber statement necklace. In other words, it was another Céline collection that incited that kind of must-have desire that leads to big pre-orders ASAP. Or, if you’re not quite there yet, you begin to contemplate how much you might need to save just to own one piece.
Givenchy
Riccardo Tisci’s latest involves equal parts sheer dresses (many in animal prints, rife with ruffles, bows, and billowy sleeves) and strong suiting, tinged with colorful flap pockets and wide-cut pants. As for the former, frothy was the M.O. for the earth-toned frocks, often tied together with slim nude belts, which were a teaser for the full-length tapis rouge ready dresses towards the show’s end. T-strapped, open-toed heels in neutrals and the occasional pop of russet were paired with sheer black tights. On the suiting end of the spectrum, which wove its way in by look four, noir trou sported crimson pocket banding which worked surprisingly well with the palest, nearly-white shade of seafoam of the elongated blazer topper, sheer deep-V sweater and collarless button-up underneath. Sweatshirts took a hiatus from Tisci’s looks this season; perhaps he got his sportif fix via that Nike collab. There was a fair amount of black peppering the collection for the pattern-averse, though those animal-print coats unapologetically further sexed up with fur detailing would be a shame to pass up.
John Galliano
For fall, designer Bill Gaytten paraded ultra-femme looks enriched with plenty of panne velvet, some blanketing entire pieces, some trimming the bodices of gowns. Dominant silhouettes were a flippy, fit-and-flare dresses, cut demurely to the knees, plus high-waist, thick-banded trou with nice movements and tapered hems. Strong outerwear shapes involved plush fur collars and sleek, cropped shape, especially crisp in a white iteration as well as a charcoal topper sporting burgundy velvet detailing. Fur collars also accompanied some of the frocks, splashed with watercolor-ish prints. Gaytten’s influences included Marc Newson’s furniture designs, constructed of metal and molded plastic. A bevy of looks, from swishy floor-length velvet numbers to a crisp cream bustier and high-waisted trou combo, were cinched with a trio of massive faceted and marble-effect stones. For the formal attire-seeking set, there were a couple of gowns to wrap the show up, some slit to the waist and comprised of vampy dark layers, others light, swishy, and champagne-hued, including one cowl-necked number. The collection was grounded with lizard skin booties, slightly square-toed and mid-calf in height.
Chloé
She’s come undone. The Chloé woman took a bit of a walk on the wild side this season. There were plenty of pretty and soft looks like a pair of nude and pale pink drape-y cloaks, a soft off-white chiffon ruffled dress, or a white slip with a lace hem that fell beneath the hem of a white tunic top. But the collection let loose with undone fringe that almost looked like plumes of feathers, or on an outstanding leopard print fur coat with hints of yellow, red, and peach thrown in. A sparse houndstooth print on white gave the effect of white leopard, while a black dress emblazoned with gilded embellishments was worn over black crop pants. Creative director Clare Waight Keller just renewed her contract at the label, and it’s not hard to see why they want to keep her on.
