Mispelaere's Chaotic Composure
By Karl Treacy
(Photos by Gruber-FWD)
PARIS, Mar 17, 2003/ FWD/ --- It's a pity that Yvan Mispelaere's comeback show will be
remembered for one thing - the many heels that snapped off shoes and littered the catwalk
precariously.
But shows are one thing and collections are another, and when the designer took his
ultra-brief curtain call, he self-deprecatingly held up a pair of the infamous shoes -
sans heels - to the audience.
It didn't matter that the accessories fell short in quality, because the former
Louis Feraud designer sent out a fine collection last March 11 in the Carrousel du Louvre that
bowed to few current trends and exemplified Mispelaere all the way.
But that conviction and self-awareness caused a bit of a problem. Since Mispelaere's
outfits had so much going on, it was almost impossible to take it all in -- who knew
that models in broken shoes could hobble so quickly?
The collection was called "Chantilly Training" - as in the racecourse, not the lace - and
sure enough jockey-inspired pieces came trotting out.
Thick diagonal stripes of green traversed a white top, and diamond prints in green, white,
gray or pink were blandly abstract on blouses.
Rosettes cut down to their most minimal appeared as corsages on a coat and the same motif
covered tops in emerald appliqués.
Thankfully that was pretty much it racing-wise. Black coats had a multiplicity of details --
falling swags, Elizabethan tubular ruffles, a cape back that was a zipped-open hood,
and reinforced breastplate-like layers all came together well.
Dresses came pieced with sporty mesh, curving panels of jersey and peppermint chiffon.
On the understated, simple black numbers had cutouts at the shoulder, smaller cuts on the
back, or a skinny line of simple tubular ruffles at the hem.
The designer's remarkable suit was the work, invention and cutting that went into these clothes.
It was something Mispelaere was never appreciated for at Feraud where his looks were too
avant-garde for the conservative clientele.
And it would be a terrible shame if that exciting work went unrecognized now.
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