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Paris Womens AW10/11 Trend wrap

There was definitely a feeling of something fresh bubbling under - a bit of a new decade, all-change kind of sentiment. We see a lot of the key trends driven by the desire for ‘classics’ - both of the historical kind and the ‘classics of the 21st century’ kind. There was also a kind of post-post-modernism, really mixing up references in a very practical and new feeling way. In terms of fast-fashion fixes, there are some interesting changes to take note of. The Balmain power shoulder has been replaced by a dropped, rounded shoulder line previously perfected by the avant gardes like Raf Simons, Balenciaga and Calvin Klein. The a-natural shape would have looked bizarre before - now it looks strangely appealing. The blazer with street pant styling trend is coming through strongly commercially and is likely to gain momentum. Contrast sleeves are also another big trend to pick up on, consider layering a long sleeved jersey under a waistcoat or sleeveless jacket for a quick update.

Incoming…
MODERN MINIMALIST
It’s minimal yes, but the ‘ornamentation’ is provided by the detail - a notch on a placket here, a tonal leather patch pocket there. The silhouette is streamlined and super slick, gliding around cocoon coat curves or a strict cigarette pant. Think quality cuts and luxury fabrication, in a neutral palette of camel, charcoal, blacks, white and brilliant accents of tangerine and red. The ‘Chloe’ girls did it best, them being Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo at Celine and current designer, Hannah MacGibbon. She’s only into her second season, but Philo is already garnering something of a cult status with her grasp of new basics with a twist. We see her command of everyday leather become a staple of this trend. Stella’s simplicity was lifted with textured wools and sheer inserts. Chloe showcased what felt like a re-working of last season with a slight seventies twist. You can’t help but feel these designers were on to something, re-building the 21st century woman’s staple wardrobe on a foundation of new, timeless basics.

CLASSIC DECADES
Like the minimal trend, albeit in a very different way there’s definitely a trend towards a longing for something classic. In terms of 20th century references, there’s a classic era for every body type. The Golden Age of 50’s and 60’s couture reflected a whole hearted celebration of womanhood, with prom dresses appearing here and thereand a full-on homage at Louis Vuitton. Those calf-length full skirts couldn’t be more of a pendulum swing from the recent body con minis. For boyish body types, there’s a sixties feeling offered up at Miu Miu and Valentino but its a bit more pre-youth revolution and grown up in well-crafted fabrics and wearable colours. Finally, there’s the long and lean seventies silhouette at Akris and Chloe with the soft, high-waisted flare pant firmly back on the agenda, completely colour co-ordinated in tonal camels and caramels.

CONFIDENTLY STYLED
This trend heralds a confident, post-postmodern mix of historic and cultural dress codes. The formula relies on layering references in a very modern way - but this time not necessarily for a youth market. It comes from an assured sense of putting odd things together in a way that makes sense and doesn’t look too eccentric. Dries Van Noten presented one of the finest examples of this ‘fashion collage’ mixing up mens tailoring, sports and prints. Look to Ann Valerie Hash, Hussein Chalayan, Kenzo and Isabel Marant for further styling tips. It’s a resourceful approach to dressing, mixing up what you already have and playing with proportion.

GLOBAL CULTURE CLASH
We’ve seen tribal and folkloric influences filtering through, but Paris offered a true lesson in how to pick and mix Global cultures. What’s more, if you stripped back the show styling at say John Galliano and Jean Paul Gautier, what you got was some interesting ways to incorporate international ethic elements into an every day wardrobe, particularly with tailoring. From the far reaches of Mexico, Peru, Russia, Inuit Culture and the Masai, there’s a host of colourful crafts and cultures to choose from. Lanvin, Wunderkind and Givenchy presented subtler ways to incorporate the trend via considered trimmings, a statement piece or a colourful knit paired with black respectively. Galliano reprieved his Russian/Balkan/Folk collection from AW 2009, styling up double waistline skirts, yak fur, pajama stripes and Bloomsbury florals. Gaultier served up an inventive take on tailoring, again with sports and cross-cultural flourishes.

Loosely related to this…when the first model stepped out at Chanel show you knew the ‘Call of the Wild’ trend was cemented. Although this was more of a ‘Where the Wild things Are’ in bizarre faux-fur yeti ensembles – including full fur briefs and galoshes. It took tribal culture (way) back to the Neanderthals and heralds a cosy winter.

GRANDEUR
And of course, for every to there is a fro. And pure decoration almost feels like the gluttonous adversary to minimalism. Christopher Decarnin at Balmain pretty much proves a high-street hit every season, so keep an eye on his Louis VIX inspired collection with baroque jackets, frilled blouses and full-length lame. In keeping with the Rococo vibe, there were stripped back versions at Andrew GN and Valentino. McQueen delivered the grandest of them all in beautiful painting prints and Byzantine embellishments.