A wildly varying Parisian springtime

Manish Arora

Look: The Mumbai-born designer put into play a colourful, vivid palette, defying the norms. Large, light pink floral designs on sheer white, bedazzled baseball caps, silver strapped platform sandals, eccentric layering and dynamically glistening jewels happily went against convention. Hindu deities and a single large glaring eye gave the creations more complexity, while the pale pastel prints gave a radiant, shimmering gleam.

Vibe: The all-white atmosphere drew attention to the texture and intensity of the colours on the runway.

Barbara Bui

Look: The collection shied away from monochromatic shades, jazzing it up by integrating the beauty of various cultures: from Europe, the occident and a hint of India, with a slight metropolitan hip-hop twist with a modernized perspective. Patterns comprised various colours from coral red, allusions of blues, tinges of yellows, and subtle black outlines, coming together with detailed, hand-worked mirror embroideries. All-white ensembles were complemented by see-through chiffon. Other looks included midriff-baring tops with a streak of glistening gold and polished silver, all-black creations balanced with pure whites and, suddenly, spectacular eye-catching orange ensembles.

Vibe: The fast-paced tune of the runway show gave an upbeat, cool and ever-so chic effect.

Christian Wijnants

Look: The Antwerpen-based fashion designer focused his collection on the work of contemporary British painter Peter Doig. Doig’s oil on canvas paintings were transferred to the runway as interpreted by Wijnants. What began as simple features with hues of grey, sky blue, olive green and pale pink continued as complex transformations emerged, with mixes of colours, intricate composite prints, and diagonal stripes.

Jean Paul Gaultier
From Kylie Minogue to Madonna and Lady Gaga, the universally recognized designer has embraced more than just the runways, adorning international celebrities. The majestic Grand Rex cinema was home to Gaultier’s last ready-to-wear show this season, considering the designer recently decided to concentrate his time and efforts on haute couture and special fashion developments. Rather than a fashion show, the Gaultier experience was an astounding theatrical inspiration with celebrities and fellow fashion designers invited to pay homage including Boy George, Alber Elbaz, Catherine Deneuve and Pierre Cardin. The show revolved around the idea of a Miss France beauty pageant, hosted by radio journalist Alex Taylor, as ‘Miss Jean Paul Gaultier’ was set to be elected. Various performances, looks and music, in French and English, took centre stage. From elegant to funky and outrageous ensembles, they all paid tribute to the designer’s endless creations. By the end of the show, Coco Rocha was announced Miss Jean Paul Gaultier, turning the final ready-to-wear runway scene into a party extravaganza. •