Paris Fashion Week: Day 6

Yves St Laurent

“"I just started with three thoughts: blazers, sweatshirts, and a vaguely preppy idea," said Stefano Pilati, "and then it went into thinking about goddesses, [and] stars." Pilati opened the collection with his contemporary take on “post-modernist minimalism”. The garments featured strong masculine tailoring as dress suits and single breasted jackets embodied strong lines and dark shades of sailor blues and polar whites. A key shape for spring includes oversized star formed jackets cinched at the waist, matched with shortened tapered trousers exposing a hint of flesh.

Dress suits remained conservative in neutral shades of arctic white, charcoal grey and sandy beige. Exaggerated tops and free flowing A-line skirts were cinched by feminine belts creating the desired star shaped silhouette, a recurrent theme amongst Pilati’s creative approach to tailoring. The star motif ran throughout the entire collection, conservative demure ensembles made way for a metallic “glam-rock” star cut top which took centre stage. The uppermost part of the garment was created by linking reflective plastic breast plates in a chain like manner, paired with a stiff turquoise below the knee skirt.

The tailored blazer was cropped sleeveless creating a masculine vest, single sleeved sweatshirts and oversized jackets made way for star printed conservative dresses. Another star cut garment in the form of a pencil line skirt was created from reflective plastic breast plates.

Russian model Natalia Vodianova appeared in the Yves St Laurent show after making headlines for participating in Paris Fashion week just three weeks after giving birth to her third child. The supermodel wore a classic jet black suit with blazer and waistcoat as part of Pilati’s evening wear. Other garments included satin-silk single sleeved gowns in opulent hues of berry mauve and shades of sandy beige and egg shell yellow.

Stella McCartney

“It’s a modern take on delicacy, but keeping the British sense of humour and a little bit of edge,” McCartney revealed before the show. The designer known for her vegetarianism and her environmental conscious lines embraced a contemporary collection of hippie chic. The models were wearing loose flowing frocks, floral printed playsuits and wooden healed clogs to a backdrop of organic vegetation. Keeping in line with the theme of conservation the green wall forming the backdrop is set to be donated to a low in-come housing district in Boulogne. Despite the clogs falling to pieces on the catwalk the models remained elegant in layered egg shell chiffon and silk-cotton lightweight fabrics.

McCartney’s use of floral was far from shy, but worked beautifully in natural tones of see breeze blues and dusty beige. The collection kicked off with free flowing frocks and thigh skimming safari inspired jackets. Blue floral patterns encompassed oversized shirt dresses and play suits. Floral prints made way for sheer blue cinched dresses and oversized tuxedo styled shirt tops and tiny shorts, perfect for sleep wear. White flowing gowns and retro bathing suits with sea life prints reflected McCartney’s natural motif. Golden beige dresses and suits followed themes of colour blocking, only contrasted by crochet textures and satin silk fabrics. White fairy dresses were strung together using organza and tulle, as the layered and translucent frocks closed the show.