Jon's Catwalk Report - Paris Haute Couture Part II

As tensions escalate in the middle east following the death and kidnap of 9 Israeli soldiers in a Hezbollah raid, let us continue our excursion into this season's Paris couture collections.

Let's first have a look at Karl Lagerfeld's collection for Chanel. As one of the twin engines of couture (the other being John Galliano) , Mr Lagerfeld has managed to achieve a rare feat in haute couture, profitability. Unlike Mr Galliano, who challenges us with his extreme proportions and line, Mr Lagerfeld has taken it upon himself to demonstrate the relevance and modernity of couture. He typically achieves this through his exquisite and innovative daywear, constantly reinventing the ubiquitous Chanel suit in a dizzying array of permutations. This season he offers us a new silhouette via a reconstructed shoulder. After years of razor thin tailoring and cutting jackets high on the armpit, Lagerfeld has dropped the shoulder slightly, letting it stand away from the body, giving a rounded, softer shape. This should not however, be perceived as an opportunity for a bit of weight gain. As Kylie Minogue reminds us, the average woman still needs a good few rounds of chemotherapy to look good in Chanel.





















































































Mandatory weight loss aside, one cannot help but marvel at the modernity of Mr Lagerfeld's work. The skinny denim boots and leggings imbue the outfits with a chic rocker sensibility, espcially when paired with a beautiful red coat or a navy tunic replete with a tulle train . Who would have thought that a cadaverous German man in his mid 70's be so darn cool? Then again, perhaps I have just answered my own question.





















































































Next, we have Riccardo Tisci's creations for the venerable house of Givenchy. It is clear that Mr Tisci is very capable of producing beautiful pieces (see the beige wool felt top immediately below) but one gets the sense that he has yet to hit his stride.
















































































Like Mr Lagerfeld, Tisci is obsessed with modernity, turning out fur panelled dresses in tulip shapes and keeping his palette to a strict monochrome. However, where Mr Lagerfeld gets us all to groove along to his bejewelled punk rock beat, Mr Tisci drops a piano with the word "Modern" painted all over it on us. It is clear that he has yet to master the disparate elements of couture enough to produce something that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Nevertheless, it can only be a matter of time before we see something truly amazing from Mr Tisci.

























































And that's all from me for now! Stay tuned for the ready to wear collections in a couple of months. In the mean time, watch this space!