HAIDER ACKERMANN, the 37-year-old Antwerp based designer, rumoured as a possible successor to the throne of Dior, delivered a powerful collection on Saturday confirming his growing status.
Particularly unforgettable were his colours, dark hued blues, greens and reds in fabrics with a polished sheen and sophisticated air.
The kimono-styled jackets with leather obis brought Samurai warriors to mind, but were tailored with precise Parisian chic. Except for those with strange cut-out hips, the long billowing skirts added grace and a certain grandeur to the collection which drew thunderous applause.
Even more impressive was Junya Watanabe who biked the black leather jacket into new horizons, sculpting and remoulding it into curving hourglass shapes. Some had peplum waists or caped backs and worn with either leggings or softly layered short skirts and flat shoes were modern and youthful. The dresses were terrific, one in leather was draped like silk and another, in black wool trimmed with leather collars and gauntlet cuffs will attract Irish fans. Shaggy leopard print coats were as playful as the wild Mohawk hairstyles. A great collection.
There was a real sense of a girl about town and in the driving seat at Celine’s show in the Tennis Club de Paris yesterday. Phoebe Philo’s collection was inspired by the plush interiors of top of the range motors and her love of driving. Streamlined trousers and prints that evoked vintage dashboard patterns drove home the point with floor-length coats cut with her usual rigour steering the more masculine look.
A much-copied designer, Celine is just one of the luxury brands owned by the French billionaire Bernard Arnault, founder and chief executive of LVMH, whose recent acquisition of Hermes shares has shocked the industry. New creative director of Hermes, Christophe Lemaire may have had predators in mind with his debut collection, that featured bows and arrows and even a live bird of prey in the company’s new flagship Paris store.
The white North African style robes that opened the show looked ceremonial rather than contemporary and though there was much to admire, the dizzy lozenge printed silks in spicy colours failed to hit the target.