Regal with a dash of rock

RATHER THAN just adding colours onto a canvas, Basil Soda filled the atmosphere with vivid colours on the runway during his autumn–winter 2011–12 couture show. As outfits emerged, one fol­lowed by another, each design provoked fas­cination.

On July 5, Soda’s splash of colours appeared at his show on the rue St-Honoré. The designer not only created a stylish girl but he transformed the wearer into a deter­mined and wonder­fully elegant woman. His new season’s collection was filled with a range of noble dresses; many designed and covered with precious stones which indicated the wearer’s elegance and force.

The designs were modern as well as con­temporary and many of the colours included royal blues and flam­boyant reds. The flowing effect and profound­ly detailed con­struction of the pieces high­lighted the complex­ity of the beau­tifully sublime dresses.

With the show’s graceful feel, there was a touch of rock to add a differ­ent element to the its general feel of elegance. The shiny stones that glim­mered on the delicate materials provided a lovely mélange as they brightly shim­mered together. Models revealed an air of confi­dence; their outfits and stylish exterior features represent­ed allure. The outfits com­prised of sensual trans­parency along with some openings to show an extra feature of appeal. The designs under­lined an element of an “imperial woman”.

The dresses were inspir­ational and many of them were more than one might have expected.

LA DÉFINITION d’une parisienne est le mot d’ordre de cette collection. Basil Soda prend pour métaphore le faucon pour incarner une femme élégante mais aussi déterminée. Cela se voit avec des drapés princiers et des robes entremêlées aux pierres précieuses qui indiquent la détermination et la puissance de celles qui les porteront. Les drapés jouent avec les détails de transparence et d’ouvertures audacieuses qui soulignent le côté ‹femme impériale› de ce défilé. Les coupes se veulent modernes avec leur bleu roi ou leur rouge flamboyant. Les strass rappellent Balmain pour sa touche rock en mélangeant des couleurs plus douces, grises et roses.

On notera la complexité des robes qui se veulent sublimes et peut-être surchargées … •

Lola Saab is Paris editor of Lucire.
Léona d’Huy is a correspondent for Lucire.

Midnight magic at Chanel
Chanel’s autumn–winter 2011–12 haute couture collection was set in a re-creation of the Place Vendôme, as Karl Lagerfeld masterfully taps once more into the soul of Coco, writes Vicki Matias
photographs courtesy Chanel