Jean-Charles de Castelbajac: No One Does It Better!
By: Contributing Writer
Photos by Javier Mateo

PARIS, Mar 16, 2004/ FW/ --- The Jean-Charles de Castelbajac Fall/Winter 2004- 2005 collection can be summed up in one word just and in the same manner as the previous collection - FLAWLESS!

Castelbajac's collection was filled with colors, warmth, and an all around jovial feeling. A parade of yellows, fuchsias, aquas, greens, oranges, golds and the patented Castelbajac camouflage pattern are what the retail buyers can expect from this extraordinary collection.

Skiwear was the theme of the collection's first section. Bright, fun and adventurous, the Castelbajac ski outfits will prove to be the must-have things for those wonderful holidays spent on the slopes of Aspen or in the Pyrenees Mountains. The ski boots will also be popular with the urban cosmopolitan crowd, whether on the slopes or at a rap concert.

His color rich coats are filled with strategically placed zippers. His little black dress with leather panels is most appropriate for daywear. The two-piece plaid tailleurs are hot! His ski hats in cotton candy colors will break the monotony of the usual colors one normally sees on the slopes.

Now, something interesting comes in the presentation of the shoes and boots, appropriately named Mars Walk for the shoes, Moon Walk for the calf high boot and Venus Walk for the thigh high cut. These shoes are all rich in color. These are all produced in cooperation with the sports company Le Coq Sportif. Leave it to old Jean-Charles to pull a commercial coup and make it look so fashionable.

Castelbajac's collection marched forward into a section all done in gold. His super mini dress in gold lamé with hood was repeated in cashmere and rainbow colors. His exciting little gold lamé jacket was covered with inspirational words such as PAX and LOVE. The orange raincoat with cashmere panels in cotton candy colors makes one pray for a good downpour of rain or even for a good flashflood just to have an occasion to step out in it.

The raincoat only set things in position for the *sickening finale. (Sickening is a high complement. As a simile, it is to say that one gets so much of something so good that one can become ill from it. In this case, one can get too much of a fabulous thing, therefore, a sickening effect!)

And the finale, WHAT A FINALE! The same dress presented in numerous variations thanks to a simple photo. Only Castelbajac can cause such a stir with only a simple idea as that.

The dress was the Castelbajac handkerchief dress pinned in the back with a great seam in extravagant colors. The first had "I love" written on it at the bustline. Below the bustline on each dress was a single huge portrait of one of today’s hottest, most sickening and most legendary designers: Tom Ford, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Marc Jacobs, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Paco Rabanne, Sonia Rykiel, Heidi Slimane, Vivienne Westwood and Yohji Yamamoto. Needless to say, I predict an early rupture in the stocks for these dresses.

And the applause. Only Albert Elbaz at Lanvin or John Galliano can rival the levels of applause that Castelbajac commands at the end of a runway show. But like I say, "No one does it better!"

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac