Valentino and Chanel

Valentino.

silk, drapery, ruffles; the essence of Valentino. Even the name sounds like something from a fairytale. Other labels can do femininity but not like Valentino. Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri pulled out all the stops to effortlessly bring classic Valentino and current trends together to make something beautiful.

   

Short flirty lengths, soft colours and pulled back hair added a girlish charm but, dont be fooled, this collection had an edge too. Short black satin and lace numbers injected some sex appeal into the show. It was almost as if the innocent virginal pieces where fighting the dark rebellious ones to show the duality of the Valentino woman. 

The tailoring was a highlight for me. As much as i enjoy the androgynous look created by suits, i loved the well fitted Valentino jackets that were as feminine as they could possible be with 3/4 sleeves, delicate ruffles and little bows. An exquisite collection.

                 

Chanel

Vogue declared that nothing would live up to this show. “Don’t really want to see another show after Chanel. It was so amazing. Anything else might feel flat.” That tweet set high expectations but all were met. 

The Grand Palais Museum seemed like the only place fit to hold such an extravaganza. Countless models glided around what had been transformed into a monochrome garden to orchestral versions of Oasis and Florence and the Machine. But in comparison to the clothes themselves, the setting was a small part of it. 

Chanel always brings something more than clothes. Lagerfeld and every other person who has ever designed for Chanel always has a certain “Je ne sais quoi” which continues to leave onlookers astounded from start to finish. The Spring/summer 2011 show was certainly no exception.

Unlike last season’s “yeti” theme and previous “cowboy” collections, this had amazing theatrics and drama. The black dresses had an extreme gothic edge, with the length, high knecks and overload of embellishment. It seemed like every look possible has been thrown into this collection. Floral prints with leather shorts, biker boots and dark make-up created a grunge feel.

 

Then there was the classic Chanel suit. The tweed, perfectly moth bitten, had pastel tones and created a soft, womanly look. The style was, yet again, updated to match the fast-moving industry. There were, of course, the perfectly fitted, expensive looking two pieces, as well as the tweed jacket teamed with shorts or hot pants to give the illusion of the sexually powerful modern woman.

 

There were two other welcome surprises in this show. The first was the legendary Chanel muse Ines de la Fressange who returned to the runway for the first time in 21 years after a falling out with unkle Karl. The second was the appearance of model Brad and his two year old son both dressed head to toe in Chanel. This is clearly Lagerfeld’s attempt to jump on the emerging trend of child fashionista’s. I only wonder how long it will be until we see  Suri Cruise on Karl’s arm as the new muse….