|
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's Surfboard Chic
By Godfrey Deeny
Photos by: Gruber-FWD
PARIS, Jan 25, 2002/ FWD/ --- The French men's collections kicked off in an intrepid manner Friday with the presentation
of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's new joint-venture collection with Rossignol on an ice rink
outside Paris' city hall.
As a chilly wind from the Seine numbed the awaiting critics and fashion victims, Jean-Charles
commanded a pack of ice-hockey players from a team named Azimut Brutal to square off dressed
in the designer's new surfboarding attire.
Led onto the rink by a goalie looking like a Yeti, the players looked sporty and cool in
Jean-Charles' familiar mix of bright colors and strong graphics.
Oversized shirts with huge faces or cartoon imagery like Peter Pan, chunky sweaters with
Keith Haring-style radioactive characters, and stripy JC logo pants were just some of the
strong ideas.
Staging the show on ice gave one plenty of chance to admire the collection - and to realize
how sturdy it was as the players were frequently thrown to the ground.
And given how naff so many young men look on the Alpine slopes, Castelbajac's novel ideas
are likely to find a receptive market.
|
