Torrente by Julien Fournié: Torrente Does It Again
By: Contributing Writer
Photos by Javier Mateo

PARIS, Mar 16, 2004/ FW/ --- Julien Fournié signed off on another hit collection for the legendary French fashion house Torrente.

In only his third overall collection of which this is the second ready-to-wear collection, the young man showed that he fully intends to bring the fashion house, in the words of the R&B group Soul II Soul, "BACK TO LIFE".

Fournié made a night at the "Cotton Club" the theme of his second ready-to-wear collection. Salle Delorme at the Caroussel du Louvre was all decked out in black and red. The only other decorations were 2 London street lamps and massive revolving doors atop of huge red steps on the head of the runway. Through it long, slinky models with a jazzy style entered from backstage to the sounds of big band jazz.

In this collection, much stands out, in particular his coats and jackets. Fournié's short coat in wool and gray cashmere features a sublime silver fox collar. The red silver fox jacket is great and wears easily.

Can someone please get me a copy of the red chinchilla and black leather jacket! It's surely is too much! Who told Julien that chinchilla is my favorite fur? Bless you whoever you are and bless Julien for his artistic achievement in its use.

I simply adored the black and red shawl-skirt with fringes. This is the knockout piece from the entire collection. The movement it grants to a woman's hips is rarely today. BRAVO! A gal like Carmen Jones would wear it until the fringes fall off!

Oh, the appearance of a black denim ensemble! Although still very luxurious, it was a pleasant surprise among all the gorgeous furs.

The red and black lace dress is an attention grabber in itself. I must note although this dress is in lace, it is not laden and burdened down with the traditional flower motifs that one finds in most French collections. This should be a grabber for women who love the elegance of lace, but who tries to avoid it for fear of looking like their mothers and grandmothers.

The room was moved into a thunderous round of applause when Look N° 23 appeared. The sparkling black wool coat, worn over a black satin and silk shirtdress was too much for words. And just when the audience thought that things wouldn't or couldn't get better, then came the top model, Debra Shaw, wearing Fournié's "Charleston Surprise" redingote. Talk about ecstasy. Personally, I nearly passed out from the elegance and beauty of it all!

However, it was Look N° 25, a long coat with mirrored knots that sent us into a frenzy. It was worn over a breathtaking "Charleston Twenties" dress in black embroidered silk organza. Upon seeing it, I said to myself, "THIS IS IT!!!" This look is the moneymaker of the entire collection. Words are simply insufficient to describe its perfection.

Black and red are the dominant colors for Fall/Winter 2004 -2005 according to Torrente. Every woman must go out now and get a pair of black micro-gloves, and when she does, hers should be those proposed by Fournié's Cotton Club collection. They are simple, sleek and SEXY. Any woman who wears them will have an army of men literally eating from the palms of her hand.

Now, in all fairness, I have to register my lone complaint with the collection. In seeing it, I wondered will women perceive it as being too couture? And is it not ready-to-wear enough?

I personally REFUSE to use the word couture. BUT! The clothes are so luxury that one gets the impression that one may indeed have to spend hours being fitted in order to properly wear them. Can a woman just walk into the Torrente boutiques and buy on the spot? Regardless of the response to this question, it should not prove a problem when one takes into account Torrente's clientele.

In closing this review, I say that at this show, all seemed perfect and all was perfect. That is directly due to the all-apparent harmony that exists at the heart of the new team at Torrente.

It's not easy going into a well-known and beloved national French institution such as this fashion house. However headed by Communications Director Jean Paul Cauvin and Attaché de Presse, Juliette Henno, the new blood at Torrente has made the transition seem effortless and if you will the pun, "seamless". Bravo!

Torrente by Julien Fournié

Torrente by Julien Fournié

Torrente by Julien Fournié

Torrente by Julien Fournié

Torrente by Julien Fournié

Torrente by Julien Fournié