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2006 WORLD HAUTE COUTURE & FASHION
Galliano Captivates Paris
From the Desk of Maximillien de Lafayette
Common
sense dictates that in order to make money, a fashion house should
make clothes that will be bought and worn by many. But at the court
of John Galliano, the fashion wonderland that is Christian Dior,
common sense is as foreign a concept as sensible shoes.
Photo: Reuters
Other luxury houses have hit lean times, but at Christian Dior sales and profits have climbed steadily this decade, without a single wearable dress appearing on a catwalk. There has always been an air of fairytale to the John Galliano story. However, even by the standards of fashion's finest showman, Monday's haute couture spring/summer 2004 show in Paris was jaw-dropping. The show was conservatively valued at more than £1 million ($2.4 million). Each season, Galliano travels abroad in search of inspiration. Two months ago he visited Egypt, where he was struck by how the elongated shapes and exaggerated poses of the figures in ancient Egyptian art echoed the 1950s fashion portraits of Penn and Avedon, and the concept for this collection - Cleopatra comes to the '50s - was born. "Over the top" does not even begin to describe it. A typical outfit might comprise a corseted bodice encrusted with coral, above a vast skirt made of feathers dipped in metallic paint, with a hem of swirling gold tulle. This would be worn with a pink metal pharaoh headpiece, a golden beard, towering dyed snakeskin shoes with beaded anklets, and lashings of eyeshades. The impossibly narrow silhouettes of catwalk models were accentuated with perilously tight tailoring, headily high heels, 60-centimetre high hair sculptures, and outfits stretched tight from earlobe to floor. Sarah Jessica Parker, considered queen of the fashion world for her role as Carrie in the hit television show Sex and the City, was in attendance. But for once, no one was looking at what she was wearing. "Why isn't everybody jumping up and down and screaming?" she cried. "I knew Galliano was capable of elegance, whimsy, fantasy and history, but this was beyond fantastic; beyond belief. I have never seen anything like it in my life."
Versace's Sultry Summer 2006
Donatella Versace turned up the heat at Paris couture week today with a smoldering spring-summer 2006 collection of slinky siren gowns, micro-minis and sleek pant suits sparkling with crystals and beads. Pop diva Christina Aguilera, who appeared in Versace's latest print ad campaign, set flashguns popping at the evening show in an ornate room at the swank Ritz hotel owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, who also was in attendance. The Italian designer, back on the Paris catwalk for the first time in 18 months, sent out a bevy of beauties in her own image: long locks - most of them blond like hers - combed pin straight, bodies tanned and stomachs toned. Her mini-dresses showed why Versace is synonymous with glamour: a canary yellow mini with criss-crossing woven strips of satin, chiffon and suede, and a pink and green number in draped crystal fringe oozed sex appeal. Versace likes her models to show skin: circular cut-outs of varying sizes abounded at the midriff, necklines plunged and strands of crystals wrapped around the hip created a peekaboo effect. For actresses and singers like Aguilera looking for red-carpet attire, the designer didn't disappoint: low-cut floor-length gowns in lilac, light blue, lime and black glittered with jewels. Versace greeted her fans at show's end in a white halter top and tight white trousers - mirroring her first runway piece, a white satin pant suit with trousers flared at the knee and a belted jacket with flashy silver detailing. Unlike the 21st century spectacle of the Christian Dior show or the paparazzi frenzy at Versace, Italy's Maurizio Galante put on an 18th century show, unveiling his collection at one-fifth the size on cloth marionnettes. Shirtless male actors manipulated the puppet models, who were clad in an eclectic mix of day and evening wear - standouts included a black velvet smoking jacket or a creamy vanilla silk evening gown of hexagons pieced together, both dotted with pearls. Galante played with cut and proportion, offering both mini crocheted dresses cut close to the body and billowing silk pyjama pants. Trench coats are a sure bet for next spring. Paris haute couture week continues tomorrow with Chanel, Christian Lacroix and Givenchy taking center stage.