PHOTOS: Armani, Chanel, Givenchy Stun During Paris Couture Week
by Justin Fenner | 2:22 pm, July 6th, 2011
The chilliest reception was at the most hotly anticipated show of the week, Christian Dior . In its first showing without ousted couturier John Galliano , the house’s Bill Gaytten -led collection looked a little clownish — but no one laughed. Chanel, Armani, Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier have turned out some Take in a few of our favorite looks from each of the shows that have happened so far this week.
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1. Armani Prive Fall 2011
Giorgio Armani showed an Asian-influenced collection, but in a much less subtle way than Ralph Lauren 's Chinese-inspired collection for fall. Some of the dresses and suits looked as though they wanted to translate the Japanese kimono into French chic. But the printed silks were divine, and the bow-shaped fascinators atop the models' heads made for cool complements to those silks. We predict the British Royal Family will be wearing these hats (if not these dresses) at a number of events this fall.)
2. Armani Prive Fall 2011
So proud!
3. Chanel Couture Fall 2011
Karl Lagerfeld darkened the Place Vendome so that his models had to walk (almost) in the dark. A few of his looks referenced Nicolas Ghesquiere 's enlarged houndstooth at Balenciaga and John Gallianoo's last mid-century inspired couture collection at Dior . But still all of it was quintessentially Chanel -- especially the forward-thinking lights in the models' platforms that popped on at the end of the presentation.
4. Chanel Couture Fall 2011
These are the lights we mentioned.
5. Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Fall 2011
6. Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Fall 2011
Jean Paul Gaultier gave us feathers and fur in droves with this collection -- and we can't fault him. Feathers are pretty, and what obscenely wealthy person doesn't want her dresses trimmed with fur in fall and winter? It gets cold. In his grand tradition of turning rock stars into models, Gaultier asked singer Mylene Farmer to close his show wearing (what else?) a feather headdress and all the black tulle money can buy.
7. Givenchy Couture Fall 2011
Riccardo Tisci proved that when he's not screen printing rabid rottweilers onto your basic black hoody, he can, in fact, make a lovely sheer white dress. But these aren't the kind of dresses you get married in, they're the kind you stand in one place at a party in because you're afraid to get it dirty, or concerned that if you move too suddenly half of your carefully shirred silk fringe will fly into an abyss of nothingness and never return to you. We expect to see modified versions of these dresses on the red carpet, and virtually nowhere else.
8. Givenchy Couture Fall 2011
The entire collection.
Armani Couture Armani Couture Fall 2011 Armani Privé Chanel Chanel Couture Chanel Couture Fall 2011 Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani couture givenchy Givenchy Couture Givenchy Couture Fall 2011 Jean Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Fall 2011 Karl Lagerfeld Karl Lagerfeld Chanel Paris Couture Week Paris Couture Week Fall 2011 Riccardo Tisci
We’re smack dab in the middle of Paris Haute Couture Week, a fashion phenomenon that happens twice a year and spawns a lot of jokes in which the word “haute” replaces the word “hot.” And even though it’s quite haute in France right now (see what we did there?) editors and stylists are looking at the clothes their very wealthy clients will be wearing once fall’s chill returns to the air.
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