In a world that is at the moment preoccupied with one main problem – trying to financially rethink and rebuild itself – Karl Lagerfeld should maybe be hugely admired and seen as a great inspiration, almost a hero.
The designer has so far created over 50 haute couture collections for Chanel, but what’s most striking about them is in some cases not the extreme originality of the designs, but the fact that Lagerfeld managed through them to bring new, younger and trendier clients to the historical fashion house.
Making a legendary house relevant to a new generation of wealthy customers (as obnoxious as some of them may be…), is an extremely tricky business and Lagerfeld has definitely succeeded where many others failed.
The designer probably set to work on the Spring/Summer 2010 collection with further young and wealthy markets to conquer in mind, that’s maybe why he transformed the skirt of Chanel’s legendary tweed suit into a pair of practical shorts, sprinkling his designs in silvery hues or adding one or two silver hemlines.
But the apparently seamless tweed suits (a definitely well-executed trick, Mr Lagerfeld) matched with space-age ankle boots and snakeskin sandals decorated with metal studs that looked like Chanel’s iconic pearls and featuring curvaceous heels that created exaggerated rococo motifs (imagine a sort of futuristic version of the ones seen in Pollini’s A/W 09 collection), matched with silvery thighs and completed by extraordinary hairstyles that were crossovers between La Castiglione's (for their silvery streaks – see first pic on this post) and Hello Kitty (for the bow perfectly nestled in the hair), weren’t all.
The main focus of the collection was in fact on delicate candy-coloured frothy dreamy dresses, ethereal and voluminous ruffled looks, long and fluid evening gowns characterised by rather intricate decorations and molten metal motifs.
Though the point was showing the great craftsmanship behind each design and create at the same time contrasts between the different weights of the fabric and the elements used for the decorations, in some cases you had the feeling this was an unnecessary exercise in multi-embellishing and you easily felt as if you were overdosing on gems, beads, sequins, crystals and Plexiglass elements.
So, while the structure in many creations was almost totally eliminated in favour of vestal-like designs, the embroideries in some cases turned into essential parts of the dresses.
Large crystals created armour-like shoulders; a be-jewelled bodice was integrated into a bridal gown while shoulder straps turned into necklaces.
In this orgy of decorations, handmade roses, tulle, frills and ruffles, 
there were a few imperfections: first the clumsy silhouette of the tweed shorts, second the statement half-gloves à la Karl Lagerfeld that have turned into a (frankly tiring) must at every collection.
Despite his great work at Chanel, not everything Lagerfeld wears is cool and the final golden groom suit styled on Lagerfeld’s own suits, confirmed it.
Lagerfeld talked about “Neon Baroque” for this collection and the title was really apt: despite its silvery nuances, the collection didn’t have anything futuristic about it, but it was pure haute couture hidden under a modernist façade.
Yet, while Lagerfeld stated he was happy at having managed for the first time to leave behind black and navy in his couture designs, Jean Paul Gaultier continued his tradition of creating collections inspired by a well-defined (and usually well-developed) theme.
Mexico was the most obvious inspiration behind the designs presented on the runway, though Gaultier seemed to have travelled further south to Ecuador to study the weaving techniques employed to make hats with toquilla straw (think about Homero Ortega’s hats and you get an idea).
Corsets incorporated into denim jackets and embroidered denim trousers embellished with crystals and worn with knee-high Mexican boots or botines-cum-sandals were among the more casual creations.
Then, little by little, the inspiration got stronger and things got more complicated, but also more interesting.
The intrecciato motif was employed to create architectural structures overimposed on jackets, skeleton-like braided elements that emphasised the shoulders, corsets incorporating crinolines or quite beautiful leather corsets, while black and white ribbons were woven together to recreate on a dress Aztec-looking motifs.
Palms turned into one of the main inspirations, not only in those designs that mimicked woven palm baskets or in the pleated motifs of light dresses, but also in the accessories such as clutches and bags shaped like leaves.
One of Gaultier’s main inspiration remained cinema though and, leaving behind his favourite icons, he jumped into the future and explored the world of Avatar land.
The film inspired the tribal theme of this collection, tackled via electric blue dresses worn with armour-like jewellery or arm and leg pieces, but also the more natural side of the collection that featured elaborate green dresses with wonderfully coloured embroidered flowers.
The collection presentation was slightly too exuberant, though, and all the palm leaves, 
sombrero hats, cigars and gaucho split trousers with voluminous silky wings, culminating with Arielle Dombasle singing clad in a red dress, overshadowed the best part of the collection, that is the tailoring.
Indeed, the collection featured trouser suits, pantsuits and jackets characterised by precise silhouettes and a striking black tailcoat in which the palm theme was used to create architectural motifs on the back.
It’s easy to be envious of certain designers or celebrities for their talent, fame or money, but whenever I think about Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, I just thank God I’m not them.
I see their job – trying to win new customers for a historical fashion house such as Valentino while at the same time not betraying its origins, keeping an eye on its archive and avoiding getting fired by Mr Garavani – as honestly too much to bear.
Having managed to please the emperor so far without turning into his clones, the two designers now seem to have rebelled to their master and happily escaped his control, running away like Gaultier to the Na’vi’s faraway land.
Despite being happy for them and despite being impossible to deny that the house of Valentino desperately needs to be rejuvenated, I think that doing the latter by copying the latest successful trends is not a good idea.
Yards of chiffon in beautiful soft shades with splashes of neon yellow and turquoise seemed to be effortlessly and sensually wrapped up or draped around the models’ bodies and feet, creating quite beautiful mini-dresses, jumpsuits or leggings, or were applied in geometrical nude, fuchsia and black patches on well- sculpted jackets.
Blue-sprayed eyes and shoulders contributed to give the perfect atmosphere to the “Virtual Eden” theme.
Chiuri and Piccioli seemed to have found a way to escape the master and, after their first collections that were conceived more as tributes to Valentino, ran away into a parallel world populated by Rodarte’s amazons and modern viragos wearing bat-shaped jewels.
I’m totally with Chiuri and Piccioli when it comes to finding their own path and rejuvenating Valentino’s house, but this will have to be done without looking too many catwalk shows, otherwise the only thing they will achieve is a digital and virtual makeover, while Valentino's fashion house needs an injection of optimism also in the sales department.
Valentino’s house still has an atelier and a few artisans able to come up with impeccable designs (see the layered chiffon or feathery designs), but that will have to be teamed up with a truly fresh and unique look.
Yes, taking couture into the future is a definitely hard mission and well done for trying in a honourable, though not always successful, way to Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy.
Like many other Italians belonging to his generation, Tisci has fond memories of Renato Zero’s singing "Viva la Rai" in the rehearsal rooms, the costume department and along the corridors of the studios of Italian State TV broadcaster Rai.
I must admit it: Renato Zero, his style and costumes – a veritable orgy of feathers, sequins and crystals – often managed to have me glued to the TV screen when I was a child.
Unfortunately that time is 1) gone forever; 2) only relevant to a limited group of people (read: nostalgic Italians getting old, me included).
Don’t worry though, Givenchy fans who don’t know Renato Zero were provided with further themes to decode the collection, among them the 70s, Serge Lutens and erotic films.
No wonder that with so many inspirations on his mind, Tisci got confused and forgot the meaning of two simple words "cohesive collection".
There were indeed quite a few ups and downs, from glammed up electric blue or emerald green suits entirely covered in sequins that looked more like Renato Zero’s outlandish suits (circa “Il Triangolo”) and tailcoats with ethereal degradé ostrich feather T-shirts that still looked very early 80s Renato Zero to out of fashion traditionally classic ballgowns matched with chiffon capes reinterpreted in a modern key, nude organza cocktail dresses, flamenco inspired jumpsuits and boleros and long purple gowns with crystal bodices.
The designer played at least rather well with the masculinity/femininity themes, but there were elements that didn't manage to convince also in the accessory department, such as the rather clumsy "high-heeled brogues meet T bar" shoe.
Yet Tisci won't have to worry: the success of the collection will definitely be guaranteed by editorials and rock stars, fans of Margiela run for cover as soon as possible.
Usually Maison Martin Margiela’s Artisanal Collection was a triumph of plastic elements, combs, straws, bits and pieces stolen and found here and there in warehouses and among abandoned stocks.
Everything was reused in original ways that actually pushed you to think about what you could do with what you had around yourself.
Employing vintage evening wear from the 40s, 50s, 60s and so on, is instead not an innovative idea, but it sounds like rather lazy, sort of 'we got tired of looking for abandoned stocks of stuff, now that Martin has left the building'.
Flipping tulle gowns upside down is not a desperately good idea and wearing a cage of metal tubes covered with a feathery boa is acceptable only if you are Lady Gaga and only provides answers to why some fashion houses are in crisis.
The latest haute couture week definitely proved there is enough for the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to think about for the next edition. In fact they’d better come up with some truly clever and innovative idea for the next edition, otherwise, after Milan’s women's ready-to-wear fashion week – nowadays turned into a mish-mash of fossils, useless brands and labels and new designers with no support or direction – the Parisian haute couture week will be another glamorous casualty of this wonderful world called "fashion".
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