Nonchalant Minimalism

These photos were taken outside Le Grand Hotel in Paris right after the Balmain SS11 show in September last (last!) year. While everyone was snapping away at the Balmain-clad ADR, (including me, until I spied otherwise) Mademoiselle Agnés snuck past, largely unnoticed by the blogger throng. With her Zanotti for Balmain satin booties and that amazing leather panelled Celine coat, how could you not notice? It's quite striking when seeing these two distinct looks, fashion poles apart, in the one frame. While Anna, God love her, is proud in her 'maximalist' style, not occasionally showing up to a designer's show in one of their earlier creations (that she's never worn before, no less), Agnés' style is much more minimal. It's not refined to extent of minimalism's trademarked sleek hair and Calvin Klein, but certain elements are certainly pared back. On reflection, I understand why Agnés didn't receive the same amount of attention as ADR, and I think it has less to do with the level of fame, and more to do with the style. Something so simple (if Balmain and Celine are considered simple) are donned by the wearer more often than not to have that effect; so they are the ones wearing the clothes, not the other way around. A plain pair of skinny army-green cargos tucked into heeled boots, teamed with a loose tee the same colour as the straight-lined jacket. Easy. Effortless. Just like dressing should be. Perhaps we can coin a new term in reference to this French sort of minimalism, after all; many a French editor (Emmanuelle Alt and Geraldine Saglio to name two) have this look down to a (ripped) tee. Nonchalant Minimalism. 

The march of the fashion editor

Fashion editors. No longer are they just an elusive name featured in the masthead of your favourite magazine.  Thanks mainly due to this decade's blogging phenomenon, the obsession with fashion editors has grown to the extent they've become celebrities in their own right. Anna Dello Russo herself even cited fashion blogs as the main reason for her style-icon status. Although you'll always have those few in the industry who are quick to dismiss the relevance or credibility of now-famous bloggers such as BryanBoy, Tavi et. al, (maybe with resent for their overnight success as opposed to the old-school coffee mule cum assistant route) there's no doubt the personal style of ADR & Co. would be as noted/copied/loved if it weren't for (certain) bloggers. Without turning this into a bloggers vs editors argument (as an aside- I'll be taking the coffee-mule route), what I'm trying to say is that I'm more than thankful the focus of celebrity has shifted from the talentless Paris Hiltons of the world to people who have worked hard (and stylishly so) for their success. If nothing else, their rise to cult status (in the fashion world at least) provides all of us envious hangers-on (guilty) with some very worthy eye candy. And it probably doesn't hurt sales when their staff are seen practicing what they preach outside their glossy pages. 

The above picture was snapped as I was skulking around outside Gareth Pugh in Paris towards the end of the spring-summer 2011 season. Representing US Marie Claire we have Style and Accessories Director Taylor Tomasi Hill,  Senior Fashion Editor Zanna Roberts Rassi and Market Director Nina Sterghiou. I love the line formation they've got going on-  if you look a little closer you'll find they're all glued to their Blackberries- perusing the latest blogs, I'm sure. 

 all pictures my own

Anna Dello Russo.

While in Paris recently I was lucky enough to catch (several) glimpses of the infinitely amazing Anna Dello Russo. For those who have been living under a rock, she is the fashion director-at-large at Vogue Nippon, and famous for owning not one, but two apartments in Milan- one for her and her adorable chihuahua Cucciolina, and the other (climate-controlled, of course) to house her ever-expanding collection of designer clothes and shoes. You too would need a second house if you owned over 4000 pairs of shoes. (And for those who are currently rolling their eyes at the excess of it all- her plan is to eventually have her collection archived so that it can be studied by fashion students, historians and enthusiasts alike.)

She is even more gorgeous in person than in photos, and I'm not just referring to her glamorous style (or those legs). She was all too happy to flash her 400-watt smile every which way, pose for street-style bloggers and crazy paps and repeat with loving detail what (or who) exactly she was wearing. Whilst other high-profile editors slinked away silently through the crowd gathered outside of Le Grand Hotel, Anna seemed genuinely delighted to stand there and share her love for fashion with all. I doubt that there is anyone in the world who loves fashion more that ADR, and it is refreshing to see someone who is as proud in their passion as she. 

Above (outside Balmain)

Dress: Balmain

Shoes: Pierre Hardy

Jewellery: "My own"- ADR

Below (outside Gareth Pugh)

Brocade Jumpsuit: Rochas

Shoes: Valentino

Leopard clutch: Fendi

"Elle" is for Louis

Paris Fashion Week- and the entire AW season- ended today, meaning all the fashionistas can happily swan around Paris for a few days without having to rush off to another exotic location for more jam -(doubtful)- packed days of shows (it's a hard life isn't it?!) Bringing the week to a close was Marc Jacobs' latest showing for Louis Vuitton- a collection which pretty accurately pieced together much of what was showcased throughout the rest of the fall collections. With the theatrics on the back burner (did Marc Jacobs really design this?!), LV's fall collection was awash with shapes reminiscent of the 50s and 60s; a well received break from the (disappearing?) power-loving 80s obsession. With circle skirts, bodices, nipped waists and trimmings a plenty- it wasn't just the curvier girls who were Brigitte Bardot-esque. These girls, by the way, included Victoria's Secret regulars Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley - somewhat of a "trend" this season that Miuccia started on the Prada runway. Another familiar (fuller) face was that of Aussie Cat McNeil, who has made this her comeback season, walking for a select few shows including Hermès, Stella McCartney and said Prada.

Before I post anything else on Milan or Paris, here are some pictures of the one and only Elle Macpherson, who closed the show for Louis Vuitton.


Backstage at the Cu Carree du Louvre in Paris


The last look for LV- and the entire AW10 season (almost!)



photos: style.com and Zimbio

Parisian Memories...

It's Paris Fashion Week as we speak (or as I type), and I'm looking back of all the photos I took during my weeks there- safe to say I am missing it- a lot. What I loved most about Paris was not the famous tourist destinations and monuments such as The Eiffel Tower or the Louvre (don't get me wrong- these things were also amazing!) but the everyday life and people within the city itself.

Everyday Paris.

a wintry day inside les Jardin de Versailles

Spot the Dalmatian

Christmas Markets

and one for the blog... being a pap outside Elite's headquarters

Sushi and wine with friends on Rue Raynouard

Paris polaroids

Me! Outside Moulin Rogue

Cobblestones, brass rails, narrow stairs, creeping ivy, breadsticks, Parisian ladies, Parisian ladies with dogs, Parisian ladies with dogs in shops, shops!, arrondissements, the metro, gilded ad columns, bridges, la Seine, cheese, chimneys, shuttered windows, wine, wintry picnics in le Jardin de Luxembourg, New Year's morning snow, shoebox apartments, Saint Germain, class, Rue de Sevres, history, Versailles, The Garden of Versailles, listening to Phoenix on the way to Versailles, culture, Christmas markets, symmetry, bustling streets, the sky, the grass, the air, life... Paris.

Paris begins... ohh la la!

We're finally into the last, but by no means least, stage of fashion weeks for the summer 2010 collections; Paris. While the prêt-à-porter shows aren't what couture-loving Parisians look forward to most on their yearly fashion calender, they sure know how to make clothes women actually want to wear, that's for sure.

A prime example of a designer who is known for his often avant garde couture is Dior headhunter John Galliano, and his ready to wear collection was just that. Amongst all the overtly '80s inspired collections of late, it was refreshing to see inspiration from a new era emerge. Forties film stars reigned supreme; with shiny red pouts and bouncing waves offsetting feminine yet structured trenches amongst a collection of underwear-as-outwear; a trend single handedly put on the fashion map by Galliano.

Christian Dior

Other highlights at Paris so far have been Balenciaga, the greatly-anticipated Balmain and designer-for-the-cool-kids Isabel Marant. Ghesquière's latest showing is an obvious departure from his drape-heavy fall collection, with not a soft layer in sight in this urban-cool collection for Balenciaga. This show was all about stepping out of the box- it even featured our very own Victoria's Secret angel Miranda Kerr, who was without her feathered safety wings in a street-inspired schoolgirl get up. Leather hoodies, skin tights pants and modern patchwork were combined in a genius way that will definitely prove hard for chain store labels to rip-off; a problem still continuing to plague the next designer.

Christophe Decarnin has really set the bar in terms of sexy deconstructionism; combining military jackets with sequins and barely-there hemlines in a way only Balmain could. While the follow-on from previous collections is obvious, space age has been replaced by a sparkling disco dancer emerging from the caves. The aesthetic is more closely related to Decarnin's own style than previous lines, with the leather jacket and skinny army pants combo he donned himself looking like a piece from the same collection. With the bold-shouldered trend resting upon his own, it's going to take an army (probably dressed in Balmain) to knock him off his well-deserved perch.

Balmain

Newcomer to the high-fashion circuit Marant proved yet again why she's established herself amongst the cool crowd, with her relaxed boho style retaining that street edge from fall; her collection is extremely wearable. Not only is it wearable as a cohesive whole, one can see how those going for the model-off-duty look can add pieces into their existing wardrobes. With more colour than the greys of fall, one has to be leggy to pull off some of these pieces: loose minis with fringed boots, draped grey marle pants and skinny pinstripes. Still on the strong-shouldered bandwagon, it's obvious why the Marant fan club is recruiting members and a speedy rate.

Isabel Marant

Moroccan-born Israeli design genius Alber Elbaz took drapery and ruffles to a new, and unforgettable, level with his latest showing for French house Lanvin. No amount of journalistic genius can do this vision justice; the show was an array of gorgeously constructed garments where intricate design and textualisation were moulded together to create a visual delight for those who made the trek to a shed on the outskirts of Paris. This cult like following, revelling in the build up of beaded brilliance, is testament to the mind who lured them there. With the week just started, Paris is sure to be one we won't forget for a very long time, just as they intended, I'm sure.

Lanvin

photos: style.com