Paris Fashion Week, Day Seven

It’s not an easy task to take over from somebody like Jean Paul Gaultier. But with a collection that combined tribal influences with Asian austerity, and at some point mixed in a few playful cashmere gangsta hoods, Christophe Lemaire had a strong start at Hermès. It started off with solemn looks in ivory colors; the opener was a long straight coat, somewhat inspired by a monk’s robe. Soon after, warm reddish browns took over, forming long and lean shapes with slim trouser boots, or played it on the cooler side with ample crops, pleated on the front. A soft coat in bottle green lambskin, a few graphic prints followed, before it was finally resolved in a bright orange Kimono, which was Mr Lemaire’s suggestion for the sexy evening look. He deployed classic Hermès techniques like Twillaine, which is knitting printed silk twill onto woollen jumpers, threw in a tasselled lipstick holder necklace in black croco and refreshed a menswear briefcase from the 1930s by making it into a slimmer women’s clutch. What is it that makes this Hermès look so appealing? It seems they just have found the right combination of impeccable craftsmanship and good style.

At Dior, John Galliano’s absence is still looming over the revered house. It does not distract, however, from the skills of its ateliers. A short dress in pleated knit cascades with violet fur trimmings, or towering stiletto boots, skilfully buckle-strapped, provided a look that is quintessentially Dior.

Giambattista Valli firmly stated after his show that he is not a contender for the creative top job at the aforementioned house. He prefers to work independently, with his own brand. For his collection, Mr. Valli looked at Flemish still lives and reworked them into flowery prints. But there was also a night theme going on. The shiny black embellishments resembled wet black tar, reflecting motorist’s headlights on their journey in the dark.

Text by George Ghon