A wildly varying Parisian springtime

Isabel Marant

Look: The French designer conveyed the inspiration of ‘tribal without being too literal.’ Along with a ferocity with contrast in material, shape and form, Marant stayed true to the feminine image she maintains throughout her collections. The ethnic tribal element was incorporated in large feathered sleeveless vests, leather tops and belts. Short hip-hugging dresses, ankle pants, ruffles and tri-tiered dresses exuded sensuality. Along with whites and black, a shade of Bourgogne, an amber hue and Venetian red provided vibrancy to the overall looks as the Marant woman tackles the world.

Vibe: A hint of the wild at the Palais de Tokyo with a quickening pace of the tunes.

Guy Laroche

Look: Guy Laroche is known for exquisite creations and clean-cut lines. Marcel Marongiu obtained his inspiration from American designer Claire McCardell’s classic creations. With knee-high dresses, skirts and overalls, the Guy Laroche woman showed grace. Neutral shades transformed into more intense hues of yellows balanced with beige.

Vibe: The simplicity of the runway with an all-gold background accentuated class.

Allude

Look: Andrea Karg focused on the simplicity of whites; navy blue eventually added a slight tint to the neutral colour palette. The haute cashmere line highlights a sophisticated figure; layering, along with the intensity of the quality of texture, revealed lush, geometric details and patterns.

Vibe: The extravagance of the Palais de Tokyo, the all-white catwalk and the profound tune in the milieu brought a sense of mystery.

Paul & Joe

Look: At the Palais de Tokyo, Paris-born designer Sophie Albou presented her new season’s collection for the Paul & Joe label, celebrating its twentieth anniversary. The ’70s were relived on the runway, as smiling models strutted on, in the midst of an idyllic ambiance. The owl was the main focus throughout the collection. Hats, large buckled-belts and long-chained necklaces with a pendant in the shape of an owl were the few accessories to accompany the looks. The ensembles, representing joy and happiness, merged with floral psychedelic patterns and high-waisted belts. The collection ranged from bellowing silk floral dresses to more vivacious styles.

Fátima Lopes

Look: Taking place at the universally renowned Lido on the Champs-Élysées, the young designer presented plunging necklines, hip-hugging shorts and dresses, heart-shaped décolletés, midriff-revealing tops and strapless dresses. For the more conventional looks, long two-colour dresses and short high-collar pieces were shown. Lopes stayed neutral with her colour palette using white and black, and a touch of bright yellow.

Aganovich

Look: Brooke Taylor and Nana Aganovich brought divine draped fabrics and layering to their new collection. Blood-stained lips, evoking a slight Dracula-like touch, and glistening gold shoes brought pizzazz. An asymmetric wide long-sleeved dress, angularly extravagant pointed collars, oversized coats and vivid organza flower designed brooches gave a dramatic feel with a partly Victorian look. Loud scarlet red, white and black jacquard and silks were far from redundant.

Hussein Chalayan

Look: The British–Turkish Cypriot fashion designer presented his spring–summer 2015 collection entitled Moor’s Gaze. Chalayan’s inspiration comes from the beauty of North Africa, Spain and Andalucía. Large brimmed hats and scarves tied around the eyes, to convey a “ninja” appearance, slightly concealed the wearer’s glance, adding to the mystery. Chalayan showed flowing tunics, hip-hugging tiered dresses, geometrically mesmerizing patterns, kimono-sleeved and off-the-shoulder looks.

Vibe: A mysterious universe of design. Models emerged from behind a see-through panel on to a broadly spacious catwalk.