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Paris Couture Week In Review:
An Endangered Species Dances Back to Life
Paris Haute Couture Show Fall 2003
By: Timothy Hagy
Photos by Reuters
PARIS, Jul 12, 2003 / FW/ -- By the time the powerful Gaultier show had, for all purposes, brought Paris couture week to an impressive close, a breath of fresh air had blown through the stifling heat wave.
Just a year and a half ago, Fashionista were predicting the end of couture with the retirement of Yves Saint Laurent. But since then, something strange has begun to happen. What was once the exclusive domain of the fabulously rich has become a driving force of creativity - a sprinkling of prestigious labels that has caught the attention of Hollywood and Main Street alike.
On Monday, John Galliano's fantastic Dior collection danced along the runway in burst of color, swirling along like a Latin Flamenco dancer crossed with a Southern belle. John said his inspiration was an Indian dancer he once saw while visiting the country, but his big ideas and bold colors are setting the tone for fashion of the future. Even normally dour Jack Nicholson broke into a wide grin, as his daughter Lorraine giggled with delight.
At Versace, Donatella showed a 15 piece collection that was a light, exquisite tribute to her late brother. Bathed in pastel shades, and showered with first rate workmanship, these couture pieces may be the magical way forward for the label.
Midweek, Christian Lacroix and Emanuel Ungaro relied on their inherent grace to arrive at two of the finest shows of the week, both works of poetic elegance and timeless beauty. A young team of accessories designers, On aura tout vu, provided the stunning embroidery for the Lacroix collection.
Karl Lagerfeld continued to refresh the understated vocabulary of Mademoiselle. His real genius is his ability to reinterpret those few words, over and over again each season, and to come up with a lingo ever more structured and refined.
Valentino went for the red carpet - a little too early in the game it would seem - by posting a huge Oscar at the end of his runway, and surrounding it by pictures of stars wearing his clothes. There was a lot to draw awe, but not much that would be considered avant garde about his shimmering collection, heavily anchored in eveningwear. After the show, the famed designer sent limos for about 70 select guests, including Gwenyth Paltrow, who were driven to his château outside of Paris for a private, candlelight dinner.
The Gaultier show, which was held up over an hour while the atelier finished one of the body molding suits worn underneath a sleekly elegant collection, ended things with a burst of creativity. Leave it to Jean-Paul to really set the course by exploring new constellations, new ideas. Couture became a kind of second skin, an armor if you will - an insurance against all the uncertainty and danger that lurks beneath the shadows of today's world.
And finally, poor Julien McDonald can never seem to get the recipe quite right at Givenchy. This season, he conjured up Audrey Hepburn in a séance-like show, complete with look alike models. He got the style of Hubert de Givenchy alright, but there is big difference between lifting the mantel from a living designer, and coming up with a fresh take on your own.
Either Julien's designs are too heavy and dusty, as in this version, or too dowdy and coarse, as in previous editions.
To his credit, the line of ladies signing up for couture pieces after the show was indeed impressive, and whether that novel sight is enough to keep the 30-year old Welsh designer his job, remains to be seen.
With his contract expiring at year's end, poor Julien must surely be looking over his shoulder. One less worry for him is Hedi Slimane, who decided to stay put at Dior Homme rather than venture into the murky waters at Givenchy.
But there are still other problems in this restless season of renaissance. Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga has been described as antsy.
And, even worse, in a little noticed event on Monday, the master himself, Yves Saint Laurent made his first appearance since retiring from couture. He arrived for a party held by his favorite muse Loulou de la Falaise at her new rue de Bourgogne boutique on the Rive Gauche. Speaking to France 2 reporters, the famed designer refused to rule out a return to designing in the future, saying "never say never".
As Saint Laurent is barred from designing in his own name as a result of the sale of the exclusive rights to the Gucci Group, one is left to ponder a mysterious question: in whose name might it be?
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