Gilets jaunes? It takes far more than that to stop the Parisian couture from strutting on the runway.
Even if some of the fashion houses struggled to complete their collections, due to delays in the deliveries and blocked roads, they did manage to finish their garments with just enough time to feature them in their shows, even though some were later than expected.
In a general confusion, Giambattista Valli comes up as the winner thanks to his latest haute couture collection, presented at the Centre Pompidou on a glittering floor covered in Swarovski crystals.
It reminds me of Paris by night and its light, bubbly atmosphere
commented the Italian designer about the stunning rug.
Sparkling effects aside, Valli explained how the delicate socio-cultural context that France is currently experiencing made him think of the reason why, in the ‘90s, he decided to move to Paris, the city he had loved since he was young.
The 2019 Spring couture’s collection synthesizes the essence of haute couture and Parisian prêt-à-porter, the iconic traits of a vocabulary written during the fourteen years of the maison, and a sprinkle of Asian culture.
Two large prints, hung on the wall in the backstage, reveal an additional source of inspiration: one is the famous Le Bain Turc by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, a painting evoking an elegant and erotic beauty; the other is a photography by Helmut Newton taken in 1977 in Yves Saint Laurent’s Avenue Marceau salon, during one of his haute couture fittings, when models dressed in his fabulous, exquisite gowns relaxed on gold chaises with an attitude of sophisticated abandon.
He captured the atmosphere of the French haute couture that I had always dreamed about before I decided to move to Paris to become a couturier
said Valli
this atmosphere is something uniquely Parisian – it’s a sort of mental posture, a nervous and uninhibited attitude
Simple shapes, like close-fitting tops and crystal covered skirts, are paired with ‘explosions’ of pleated tulle, flouncy flamenco-style silk skirts, and asymmetrical trains. There are also balloon dresses, oversized bows, white silk shirts and draped dresses decorated with ostrich feathers: a spectacular balance of opposites in a collection full of an allure…très parisienne.
