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Chloe's Cool Velvet
By: Godfrey Deeny
Photo by Gruber-FWD
Mar 15, 2002/ FWD/ --- The clothes, attitude and finish were pretty impressive in the
Chloe fall 2002 collection shown here Tuesday, even if the inspiration did seem a little
disquieting.
For such a fundamentally optimistic collection, it was paradoxical that Chloe's designer
Phoebe Philo should cite two of her key inspirations as Jimi Hendrix and Talitha Getty.
Talitha, let's recall, died tragically of an overdose in a Marrakech swimming pool, her body
wrapped in a mink overcoat; and heroin addiction choked out poor Hendrix's life.
One assumed that Philo was remembering these icons in their best moments, which seemed clear
from the frequently beautiful looks that appeared on the rough parquet catwalk in the Petit
Palais.
Beautiful but also practical - like flared, manly flannel pants, stripy silk shirts, super
double-breasted coats with military hints like frogging and braiding, and lots and lots of
velvet.
Philo also conjured up some cool and, we're certain, very commercial jackets and coats with
embroidered leaf patterns in black/white or gray/burgundy.
Worn with tight pants and slight lace tops, they made for a great, fresh look.
And it was nice to see that Philo's been keeping the ateliers in Bombay busy.
Her final series of semi-transparent tops and dresses with silver epaulettes and strips
and strips of lamé was wonderfully subtle.
One day, I'm sure, we journalists will stop making direct comparisons between Philo and
the designer she succeeded at Chloe, Stella McCartney, who left to create her own house.
While both staged impressive collections this week, it was the small similarities that
stuck out.
By coincidence, both featured padded leather biker pants with zipped calves, and both
presentations were a little too short.
Girls, we're all in favor of a well-edited show, but how about a grand finale?
Both of you lacked that.
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