Fashion Statement at Paris conform week Life and character

FASHION DILEMMA

Was Alexander McQueen"s post-mortem show a wise farewell?

Alexander McQueen"s last collection. Photograph: Catwalking.com

Jess Cartner-Morley witnessed an disdainful phenomenon of sixteen looks accomplished by Alexander McQueen"s group after his death:

"For fifteen mins today, in a grand Paris sketch room with mountainous white ceilings gloriously flounced with gilt, Alexander McQueen came behind to life.

When the initial indication walked in to the room, there was an heard money coming in of breath. Four weeks after the designer"s death, the pick up he had been operative on was eventually unveiled. And his suggestion was right there - in the skullcap of bandages dissected by a mohican of lacquered feathers, in the extreme black boots with bullion angels sculpted in to the heels, in the robust energy of the parsimonious flush bodice and the approach the pleated and stormy dress appeared to have come not from the past or the destiny but from a little alternative dimension where the dual meet. Every square was cut on the mount by McQueen, the assembly was told beforehand; once the garments appeared, there could have been no doubt.

Of the outfits, sixteen were 80% accomplished - they were accomplished by his group and seen for the initial time today. The pick up was indeed spectacular; the mood, in the face of the justification of what conform has lost, was bleak."

Read Jess"s full inform here and perspective some-more cinema of the pick up here.

FASHION HIGHS Blinging it up at Balmain. Photograph: Jacques Brinon/AP

The soundtrack at Balmain Held in a whim Parisian dance hall with a candelabrum the distance of a black taxi swinging over the catwalk, the Balmain show was a two-fingered salute to the pared-back, despotic cultured that pervaded Paris. The show was as OTT as it gets - lots of tacky gold, big shoulders (still), and brocade tailoring. Sort of disco-highwaymen-meets-glam-rockers. But the soundtrack had the majority impact. Even the some-more concerned members of the front row were bopping along to Prince"s "Let"s Go Crazy". The assembly left and duly downloaded.

Celine Celine Celine The conform universe has the greatest ever vanquish on Phoebe Philo at the moment, and don"t pattern us to be all formidable and contrary, since we"re all besotted too. Throughout the week the conform press armed forces was in and out of the Celine boutique, ferreting around for despotic camel coats, the undiluted Breton tee and beautifully tedious handbags. By the time of the show, hold at the Tennis Club de Paris, the fad was hectic - or as hectic as minimalist Celine-ites get. And we weren"t disappointed: from the gold-heeled roving boots to the stand-up neck cuff army nap coats, the show was perfection. Even the dark orange runner on the catwalk filled the hearts with joy. Merci, Phoebe!

Loewe"s café catwalk We utterly enjoyed the lightbox grid-come-catwalk fabricated in the Hotel de Crillon for the Balenciaga show, but on change the prime catwalk was the runway agreement at Loewe. Round cafe-style tables lined the room, mixing the dual prime Parisian things - sipping champagne in cafes and catwalk-watching. Did we similar to the 40s-inspired show? Yes. Did one British slick repository editor bluster to take the pleasing champagne eyeglasses afterwards? Yes, she did.

FASHION LOWS Rick Owens: headache-inducing. Photograph: Eric Ryan/Getty Images

The Rick Owens soundtrack First up, because did roughly each part of of the assembly see similar to they were associated to the long-haired designer? But some-more to the point, because on earth did he have a soundtrack that was so unbelievably shrill and assertive that we felt ill? Now, we similar to the thought of a second skin tanned hide Rick Owens coupler with a strap of a lapel as majority as the subsequent girl, but the 4am Berlin coma song was distracting to contend the least. We"re not as well penetrating on the hair steel piece hoods, either.

No French Vogue at Balenciaga A bit similar to carrying a croissant but the jam - someway not utterly the same. We desired the participation of Charlotte "she desirous the perfume" Gainsbourg, but we longed for the participation of La Roitfeld. The reason for the blacklisting is rumoured to be a malfeasance with a representation that someway found the approach to the Maxmara pattern college of music - where Carine is a expert - and was copied. But zero has been reliable by possibly side. "Ask them", was Carine"s puzzling reply to traffic piece WWD.

Absent friends Two British-based designers paid reverence to Alexander McQueen in their show notes. Stella McCartney wrote: "This one is additionally for Lee - you"re missed", and Roland Mouret simply typed "Goodbye Lee" at the dilemma of his.

TRENDWATCH

Hidden knees. A somewhat 70s, below-the-knee hemline is the New Length according to Ms Philo, and she is the character lawmaker right now. You competence wish to think about wearing it with a accurate discriminating tanned hide tip to keep things the pointy side of dowdy, mind.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Since "tis nature"s law to change, being continuous alone is strange.

John Galliano receiving a bow. Photograph: Thibault Camus/AP

That"s John Galliano quoting Jon Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester and a 17th-century poet. You see - he"s not only the Dior engineer with issuing locks, a arrogant beard and a gusto for receiving the longest, majority over-dramatic crawl in fashion. He"s deep.

OFFCUTS

Who wore what to the Oscars 2010? Rachel Dixon assessed all the outfits on the night, whilst Jess Cartner-Morley and Imogen Fox chose the twenty best-dressed celebs the subsequent day.

Why didn"t Lindsay Lohan spin up at the Ungaro show? Looks similar to the actor/designer has been sensitively dropped.

Want ideally made eyebrows? Check out makeup artist Alex Byrne"s video guide to brow beauty.

Are you a man? Then grow a beard! Imogen Fox explains what your character of facial hair says about you.

Interested in shoes? Of march you are, so take a see at the video about John Lobb, one of the last superfluous bespoke shoemakers in Britain.

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