Paris Fashion Week top trends: Feathers, sparkle and Eastern influences
After nine days of catwalk presentations, Paris Fashion Week came to a close March 7, with some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses showcasing their Fall/Winter 2012 collections. Here is a roundup of some of the biggest trends to emerge from the event, where leather came in all shapes and forms and green emerged as a contender to Milan and New York's omnipresent orange.
Bad news for ticklish fashionistas for Fall 2012 because feathers were all over Paris Fashion Week; with huge froths of pink plumage stealing the show at Alexander McQueen and models' faces being obscured by ornate feather creations at the Peachoo and Krejberg show. Other labels went for a more subtle take on the trend, with Zuhair Murad offering cocktail dresses decorated in sequins and feathers, Louis Vuitton adorning Edwardian-influenced creations with feathers and jewels and Andrew Gn embellishing blouses with lace and feather appliqués.
An Eastern influence could be seen at a number of shows, with a Japanese blossom motif being embroidered onto chiffon blouses at the Leonard presentation and deconstructed kimonos making an impact at Maison Martin Margiela. Blousons with kimono details were also seen at Damir Doma, while kimono shapes and Eastern-inspired prints stood out at Dries Van Noten. Meanwhile, Japanese animation was referenced at the Mugler show, where models channeled ninjas in black huge shouldered creations with hoods.
The material of choice at Paris Fashion Week had to be leather, with a string of black leather creations including a cape, jumpsuit, a trench coat and shorts opening the Valentino show. The material was just as ubiquitous at Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy, with highlights at the former including a long-sleeved leather tunic. Meanwhile, the latter showcased loose-fitting red and brown leather pants and black leather pleated skirts accessorized with long black leather gloves. Hakaan went for all-leather ensembles in burgundy, while leather harness detailing added edge at Arzu Kaprol.
While the domination of orange, neons and metallics seen during the previous fashion capital presentations continued into Paris, green was also having a noteworthy moment. The Kenzo show began with several moss green pieces, while animal motif sweaters came in brighter shades and lime green made an impact at Chanel. At Hermès, woolen coats and capes in bottle and officer greens made an impression, while floral detailing and green fur evoked the feeling of a forest at Lanvin and at Adrian Runhof flowing sheer creations echoed green foliage.
Paris Fashion Week wouldn't be complete without some sparkle, and this came aplenty thanks to the dominance of bejeweled creations. Models with their jewel-adorned eyebrows even walked a runway of glistening granite sand at Chanel's sparkling mineral-themed show, while at Vivienne Westwood jeweled Elizabethan-style tops stole the show. Bejeweled jacket buttons and elaborate brooches were seen at Louis Vuitton, where huge Swarovski adornments made for seriously blingy train cases. Meanwhile, at Balmain, pearl and crystal embellishment was everywhere, with late actress Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry collection providing a source of inspiration for the collection.
