2008 Woodie Awards
Autumn in Paris: Designers show Couture collections
By Emma Lifvergren, Collegian Correspondent
Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: Arts & Living
While everyone else was busy sunning themselves by their pools or jetting off to some fabulous summer destination, the perpetual wheels of fashion continued to turn as designers showed their couture collections for the autumn and winter 2008 season in Paris this past June.
The ever-exclusive couture arena welcomed two newcomers, Alexis Mabille and Anne Valérie Hash, bringing the list of couture designers from the eight of last fall's couture season to a whopping 10. Anne Valérie Hash's short but sweet 18-piece collection played with shape and volume, consisting of draped, scrolled gowns, bubble dresses and slim tuxedos with voluminous hems.
The collection bounced between billowy silhouettes to more severe, tailored pieces, all in neutral shades of black, white, sand and soft pink. The only downside to the collection was odd, futuristic adornments on the shoulder or neckline that didn't quite fit with the softness of the pieces.
The atmosphere was more sophisticated and thematic at Alexis Mabille, who has stepped into his couture shoes for a second time. The collection consisted of both men's and women's wear in mostly neutrals with shots of pink and yellow. The underlying theme of the entire collection was a kind of deconstructed, amped-up school uniform look.
For the men, double-breasted suit jackets, pinstripes and windowpane checks were in order, and women's wear reflected both a feminine look (body conscious gowns, belted dresses and chiffon) and an androgynous aesthetic due to slouchy pantsuits and ties. Wingtips and Mabille's signature bowtie were reoccurring and charming facets.
Couture veteran and legend Karl Lagerfeld not only presented a beautifully crafted collection for Chanel, but did so while also making a bold artistic statement. Models didn't strut down a linear runway; they wafted in and out of a 50-foot set of vertical tubes designed to represent a mammoth pipe organ, the shapes of which were mirrored in the clothing.
The ever-exclusive couture arena welcomed two newcomers, Alexis Mabille and Anne Valérie Hash, bringing the list of couture designers from the eight of last fall's couture season to a whopping 10. Anne Valérie Hash's short but sweet 18-piece collection played with shape and volume, consisting of draped, scrolled gowns, bubble dresses and slim tuxedos with voluminous hems.
The collection bounced between billowy silhouettes to more severe, tailored pieces, all in neutral shades of black, white, sand and soft pink. The only downside to the collection was odd, futuristic adornments on the shoulder or neckline that didn't quite fit with the softness of the pieces.
The atmosphere was more sophisticated and thematic at Alexis Mabille, who has stepped into his couture shoes for a second time. The collection consisted of both men's and women's wear in mostly neutrals with shots of pink and yellow. The underlying theme of the entire collection was a kind of deconstructed, amped-up school uniform look.
For the men, double-breasted suit jackets, pinstripes and windowpane checks were in order, and women's wear reflected both a feminine look (body conscious gowns, belted dresses and chiffon) and an androgynous aesthetic due to slouchy pantsuits and ties. Wingtips and Mabille's signature bowtie were reoccurring and charming facets.
Couture veteran and legend Karl Lagerfeld not only presented a beautifully crafted collection for Chanel, but did so while also making a bold artistic statement. Models didn't strut down a linear runway; they wafted in and out of a 50-foot set of vertical tubes designed to represent a mammoth pipe organ, the shapes of which were mirrored in the clothing.
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