Retro-eclecticism triumphed on the Milanese runways thanks to fashion houses à la Gucci reshaping a look for the future borrowed in some ways from the past.
The same mood appeared on Dries Van Noten's runway in Paris: models sported hairstyles borrowed from the '40s, though the occasional bra pointed towards the '50s, the platform shoes may have referenced the '70s and the colourful exuberance came from the '80s.
Decorative patterns and bright colours prevailed, but in a studied way: there was indeed a two colour combination, almost a limit per pattern, and recurring wing-like or frond-like motifs applied throughout the collection.
This rule was applied to a wide range of garments - ample men's jackets, heavy coats and overcoats, skirts, trousers, blouses, knits and cocktail dresses - something that allowed the designer to play with a wide combinations of jewel tone shades, among them shiny teal, bright fuchsia, deep mustard, strong purple, apricot orange.
Sequinned embellishments and gilded embroideries sparkled and shined on coats and trousers, strengthening the decorative aesthetic of the collection.
Denim pieces introduced a more urban and everyday approach and contrasted with the pleated and tiered skirts, tops and skirts with ruffled pink frills that broke through the fabric.
The pants and skirts characterised by monumental obi-belted elements and a black sleeveless dress coat with dark blue tulle inserts echoed instead Haute Couture silhouettes.
The tailoring was precise, pristine and prim with no great updates or innovations, but the designer subverted the most conservative looks by matching the clothes with nude filmy opera gloves and turtlenecks covered in colourful tattoos (replicated also on the hosiery).
These pieces could be considered as tribal body art with a nod to upholstery and contributed to give a sort of "Mildred Pierce on acid" edge to the collection (how would you otherwise describe the external bra in bright pink on a tattooed turtleneck, but matched with a long and elegant, rather conservative skirt).
Architecturally speaking the designer made a statement about contrasts also through the venue where the runway took place. His colourful and exuberant designs were indeed showcased in an industrial space, a vast and derelict warehouse on the outskirts of the city, while the music was provided by the Balanescu Quartet playing live Kraftwerk, a rather different setting from Van Noten's blissful presentation on a mossy runway carpet a year ago.
Maybe Dries Van Noten opted to mix all these luscious colours together since he was just being brave or he was having stylish fun, what's interesting to notice, though, is that this could have been a good ready-to-wear collection for the house of Schiaparelli.
Re-launched by Italian entrepreneur Diego Della Valle in 2012, the house has currently got a new creative director, Bertrand Guyon. Schiaparelli announced it was going to present its first ready-to-wear or rather prêt-à-couture collection during Paris Fashion Week, but then, after prototypes were shipped too late, it invited only editors, stylists and select editors in chief to a brief presentation. Dries Van Noten's collection is maybe the final proof that Schiap is in the air and in many designer's hearts and minds and that pigeonholing her in her own label is probably terribly useless.
But let's go back to Van Noten. Though not strictly derived from Antwerp's glossary, as a whole this collection - created maybe keeping in mind a kind of flamboyant arty woman (Peggy Guggenheim? Elsa Schiaparelli?) - offers consumers a fun, quirky wardrobe and bold, colourful outfits, in the sort of rich and complex fabrics Dries Van Noten employs for his masterful contrasts and juxtapositions.
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