Silver and gold accents lifted the mood at Germanier, Iris Van Herpen, Chanel and more.
…
While black was the color du jour at the Paris couture this season, a number of designers added razzle-dazzle, lifting the mood by way of metallics.
Newcomer Kevin Germanier closed the week on a bright spot underneath the IRCAM building, which he outfitted with a mountain of iridescent balloons that seemed to increase the voltage on his zany embellishments. The first model out was half-naked, her body covered in silver glitter, save for a mixed-metal pom-pom skirt. “I thought it was quite a somber, heavy couture week,” the designer told WWD’s Joelle Diderich backstage, adding that he wanted to bring “energy” and “optimism.” Check and check.
Iris Van Herpen too offered a jolt of electric creativity with a dress made of loosely woven brass wires that were licked with flames to create reef-like patterns, and then handstitched onto a tailored bodysuit, also made of brass wires, which is seen above.
More classic, but no less eye-catching, Zuhair Murad celebrated legends from Hollywood’s golden age — specifically Katherine Hepburn — quite literally by showering his runway in golden evening wear. “One sequined column shimmered like a freshly polished Oscar,” observed Rhonda Richford.
Gold was also a winner at Rahul Mishra, whose show opened with a minidress sculpted like a human heart decked-out in gold sequins. “I was trying to explore the idea of love through philosophy, through art, through literature,” he explained. It came across via mosaic embroideries on a few equally theatrical catsuits and more straight-forward pant looks mimicking gilded paintings by Gustav Klimt.
Meanwhile, the gold-flecked tweed at Chanel referenced wheat. One of Coco Chanel‘s lucky charms, it was thought to bring about good fortune — something Julie De Libran certainly had a bit of. The designer was lucky enough to snag some handwoven jacquard with gold thread from a Venetian palazzo, whipping it into a one-of-a-kind lampshade skirt. Additional upcycled metallic looks in her collection included a lace-trimmed slip and a flared trouser suit.
According to de Libran, working with deadstock material is “a way of giving a new life to things.” Talk about spinning trash into couture gold.
…
