Grey in all its shades, from glacial to stormy and deepening to black, got the imprimatur from Chanel and others at yesterday's shows in Paris, confirming it as a key colour for next season.
With his customary flair and mastery Karl Lagerfeld, German titan of French fashion, sent out a highly polished, sterling collection for Chanel in which steely and snowy textured tweeds were given an upbeat urban edge with boleros, knitted leggings and mufflers. A flash of glitter highlighted a black tweed jacket and a grey pleated skirt, a simple, effective combination that, with a high white collar and thigh-high leather boots, made the models look like superchic schoolgirls.
Tunic dresses had echoes of the schoolroom, too, but were graphic and sophisticated in white trimmed with black or in black cashmere scattered with pearls.
There are always mischievous as well as sweet touches at Chanel as if warning fashion victims not to be too reverential, like skin-tight jeans with big black bows or black velvet Fauntleroy knickerbockers. But what appears on this catwalk is often shamelessly copied and where a sheepskin jacket, bonnet and skirt are trimmed with tweed others will follow.
At the show, guys modelling Chanel menswear, the so-called Version Homme, sported check jackets, quilted waistcoats and tweed-trimmed shades. Even the delicious, romantic black ribbon evening dresses had their male counterparts in smoking jackets bordered with black satin bands.
Anne Demeulemeester also showed menswear in tandem with her womenswear show in the freezing surroundings of the Carreau du Temple in the Marais, a former Victorian market hall.
This was a beautiful, desirable collection of modern monochrome versions of l9th-century military attire in matt black leather, chamois or unbleached canvas.
With breastplates of black fur and hung with jet beading, the jackets were often cut on the curve or buttoned asymmetrically and worn over short, ragamuffin skirts and leggings. Biker boots added a sense of power and a confident stride to even the most delicate chiffon dresses and billowing silk ballgowns.
Nautical stripes have earned Sonia Rykiel her reputation along with the kind of sleek, subtle, colourful knitwear that demands a trim, fit silhouette.
With this collection, however, the designer played with bigger shapes, contrasting slim grey jersey coats with chunky caped knits, neat knitted dresses with voluminous black and cream tweeds.
Where the familiar stripes did appear they were in sparkling black and silver. A huge amount of fur was evident, fat coats of sable or silver fox and heavy capes of black muskrat, while elsewhere big bows, puff sleeves and flowery flounces were a little de trop, too.