The focus was on the feminine silhouette, emphasised in most looks by wide, chunky buckle belts positioned high on the waits. The signature Chanel suit, an expected but respected feature of the house’s couture shows, married shades of cream and cotton candy pink with sharply tailored shoulders.

Then came the transition into sparkling showstoppers. A treasure chest of glittering sequins and heavy crystals embellished evening gowns and cocktail dresses in delicate, icy hues. Pleats, folds and a generous handful of ruffles emphasised the tulip silhouette echoed throughout the collection.

Bunches of soft, cloud-like feathers didn’t detract from the distinctive tulip shape of each piece – in fact, it perfectly juxtaposed the whimsical with the defiant. The dreamy textures carefully applied to each piece, along with shiny silver high-heeled pumps, accentuated the mirrored panels covering the entire surface of the show.

Aside from the macaron shades and silvery greys, Lagerfeld threw a colour curveball every now and then – a flash of black, or brilliant violet and cobalt blue in the form of gowns with deep-plunging V-shaped necklines, cut off only by a high-waisted belt.

The cherry on top of the saccharine affair was the finale: Lagerfeld’s latest mini-muse / it-girl Lily Rose Depp, a brilliantly ruffled bouquet of pink petals brought to life by the crowd’s adoration.

Isobel Bridgwood
Photos: Ambra Vernuccio

For a house whose name is synonymous with bringing the drama of haute couture onto the catwalk, the prospect of being yet more innovative seems ambitious. Sorbier’s shows are typically more performance art than simply collection showcasing; with dancers, musicians and beautiful settings, guests to a Sorbier show are willing participants in immersive theatre. His efforts to showcase work differently at this couture season could go one of two ways: does it reflect a hitherto unseen side to the house’s creative team, or does it lose the drama spectators have come to love?

Safe to say, his AW16 collection had enough parallels with designer’s past work to reassure longtime devotees. As in his AW15 show, ballerinas took the place of models and glided down the catwalk, although this season in funereal black dresses, tunics and headwear inspired by traditional Slavic womenswear. Lace was again a prominent feature and Sorbier demonstrated his willingness to play with his traditional theme, pairing a sheer knee-length dress with a black Fez and tumbling lace veil.

Sorbier’s departure from his norm comes with his mini-collection of childrenswear, presented by a troupe of smiling, excitable young models dressed in block bright shades and colourful folkish patterns. This ready-to-wear collection echoed the silhouette of the womenswear pieces: similar hats, in playful colours, were propped on little heads and scaled-down versions of ribbon-adorned, taffeta coats were worn with pumps and handheld lollipops.

The French fashion house’s nod towards the next generation of couture enthusiasts is a welcome and apparently successful one. They reminded guests that couture can be fun, as well as fashionable, and injected some youthful spirit into the catwalk – something Sorbier has never lacked, but that couture houses can never too often be reminded of.

Katie Dean
Photos: Ambra Vernuccio

Murad experimented with a variety of fabrics and gilding, with a fair few ostrich feathers, but echoed his spring 16 couture show by emphasising femininity where possible and maintaining his firm relationship with beading and chantilly lace.

Murad drew his inspiration from some surprising sources to craft this collection, with some Klimpt-inspired hand-painted fabrics and patterns from the Caucasus and Persia. Typically autumnal, the colour scheme delved into rich berry shades and plenty of sheer appliqué, but Murad also played with Prussian blue and gold, as well as his signature pale pink and lime hues.

The models also wore broad, felt hats, leather belts, dog collars and PVC boots, adding a sexier, vampier vibe to the flowing designs. This collection is designed for the modern bohemian muse and is oozing with bad girl attitude.

Katie Phipps
Photos: Ambra Vernuccio

Zuhair Murad presented a beautiful spring/summer 2016 collection at L’Hotel Potocki for Paris Haute Couture. This is our complete behind the scenes coverage.

Photos: Ambra Vernuccio

Photos: Ambra Vernuccio

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Visser’s team used flowing organza, crêpe de chine and crêpe de georgette, in blush pink, apricot, white and lilac to represent the delicate, tactile nature of the skin (the lilac was particularly effective, looking like translucent skin over veins). One standout oyster-coloured dress celebrated nudity, with the two halves of the skirt joining at the hip and revealing a constantly moving thigh-high slit, along with tiny spaghetti straps, a deep V neck and an open back.

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However, Ilja was not just concerned with skin’s gentleness, but also its strength. The atelier has handwoven their own jacquard, incorporating white and cerulean, which they feel represents skin at its more basic, microscopic, cellular level, and adding a certain hardness to this delicate elegance.

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The SS16 show loved playing with contrast between colours, shapes and textures. Ilya reworked this classically graceful feminine look by combining it with oversized, urban shapes, rose-gold geometric detailing and explosions of orange and green. The atelier contradicted the soft pastels with the vibrancy of emerald green and traffic-cone orange, bright and beautiful against the soft colours. One look showed a beautifully simple, striking green bandeau, which contrasted against the models bare skin and the blush silk skirt, full of trembling ruffles and cascading layers, that trailed behind it.  

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This striking rapport continued into the shoes, which were white leather with a heavy green plastic platform heel, once more showing the soft purity of skin contrasted with eye-catching emerald. The model’s hair was either cropped short and slicked down, a harsh wet-look pixie cut, or a variation of a French plait Mohawk, another subtle way to modernise the collection’s aesthetic.

Ilja’s new couture collection is fluid and silky, but also contemporary and energetic: a fascinating “new pretty”.

Catherine Phipps

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Taking its inspiration from Rodin’s watercolours of the Khymer dancers, The King and I, an exhibition on 2,000 years of Asian theatre (at the Guimet Museum of Asian art, where the show was held), and an ancient legend about a shepherd falling in love with a star, it presents an exotic, romantic fairy-tale

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Sorbier’s presentation, named Celestial Lovers, reworks the age-old story of a princess and a pauper, using a variety of styles to show the theme’s universality. By starting with earthy ochres and ruffled, ragged dresses, made of a patchwork of colours and reminiscent of Raquel Walsh’s famous bikini, he shows that this love story is older than civilisation.

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Moving on to a stunning prom dress in heavy, golden brocade, with a structured bodice, full, draped skirt and delicate tasselling, he shows the same story in Medieval Europe. Other dresses explore the same theme during the 17^th century (an embroidered silver bodice and flowing train), Imperial China (a one-shoulder gown, with pleated silk covered with Chinese calligraphy and watercolours) and eventually fairies.

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The collection was increasingly inspired by nature as it progressed, as though sprites had fashioned clothes from autumn leaves. This was particularly noticeable in the final piece, a wedding dress made of metallic guipure lace and covered in golden leaves, combined with shoes (the only ones in the show, the rest of the dancers performed barefoot) which also seemed to be made of foliage. Whilst the rest of the female dancers’ hair was plaited and pulled into a tall topknot, the bride wore a large donut bun for an elfin, Tinkerbell effect.

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Although accompanying the female dancers, the men acted as accessories, wearing tight leggings decorated with colour “dripping” (like splattered paint) to match their partners’ dress. They seemed absolutely in awe of the women, moving in balanced harmony and lifting them so that the dresses’ layers could move effortlessly. Margaux Delarbre, the chief hairstylist, described them as “the fauns that dance around the fairies.”

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Franck Sorbier presented a collection based on the freedom to love and a timeless story, a theme that he says “touches the whole world at the same time.”

Catherine Phipps

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The show has a distinctly 70s feel and is full of bright purples, cantaloupes, magentas and deep navy blues. Deep V necks, cross-body ties and long sleeves pay homage to Diane von Furstenberg’s wrap dress, alongside casual draping and flaring, pussy bows, shirt dresses, cowl necks and more than a hint of disco.

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Jersey, lame, sequins and denim are key components, with one jacket combining the last two for an eye-catching, glittering cherry blossom embellishment.

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The models’ hair and make-up continue the theme, with flowing, Farrah Fawcett-esque, loose curls (although slightly glossier, smoother and more defined than the angel’s), a rust-tinted lip and half-moons of lightly blended terracotta eyeshadow under their lower lashes.

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A strong Caribbean and Eden theme is also prominent, with graphic prints, bright colours and oversized paper flowers for a Carmen Miranda-meets-Club Tropicana aesthetic that leads to what appears to be a macaw perched on a navy-blue pleated Grecian column dress.

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The first beautifully displayed gown incorporates this colour scheme and jungle fauna with the calligraphy motif from his last two couture collections, creating a vibrant floral watercolour, paired with six chunky plastic bangles.

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Fournié’s new collection is a kaleidoscope of patterns, explosive 3D details and striking colours, but remains beautifully cohesive.

Catherine Phipps

Julien Fournié presented a colourful autumn/winter 2016 collection at L’Oratoire de Louvre for Paris Haute Couture. This is our complete behind the scenes coverage.

Photos: Ambra Vernuccio

To see our full show report for Julien Fournié’s S/S 2016 collection visit here.

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This innovation stems from the 3D-printed fabric, which looks like laser-cut netting and is a tool with which Wong is able to recreate the structure and proportions of his clothing, enabling it to take on theatrical and architectural properties.

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Sailor suits and Alice in Wonderland seem to be key influences: nautical stripes, white, red and black were crucial, as well as letters and numbers incorporated into the designs (as detailing on the clothes, placards around the models’ necks and as headdresses).

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The collection focuses on these contrasting, simple colours, in bold shapes. There is also an element of cheekiness evident in a white sleeveless shirt and red tutu skirt combination, with life preserver-esque collar and belt (a very literal sailor suit) and a headband with two “2”s as devil horns.

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One stand-out outfit is a white, mid-calf, 3D-printed dress with a flared skirt and halved ping-pong balls adorning the upper half. This is accessorised with a casually tied silk shawl  and a white headdress that appears to be falling off the model’s head. This ensemble seems to characterise young children experimenting with a dressing-up box that contains a wedding dress, chef’s hat and silk scarf.

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The shoes are either white or black loafers, decorated with a satin ribbon and worn over cut-out white and black striped socks, highlighting the theme of childish innocence with a twist.

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This is also reflected in the make-up, with pale skin, a touch of silver eyeshadow and a hint of pale pink lipstick. Alison Jade explains her choice of pairing this youthful purity with stark contouring, executed with angular, methodical precision, as a way to make this look “more fresh and more fashion”. The models’ hair is a variation on the ever-present bow theme, but subtly reworked to create intricate French plaits and anime-inspired double buns (what better to pair with mickey mouse ears?).

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Wong’s SS16 couture collection fuses traditional geisha style (kimono sleeves and fan headdresses) with an updated Japanese school-girl twist, replete with bows. It is fun, playful and absolutely kawaii.

Catherine Phipps