To celebrate eight groundbreaking years of SHOWstudio, we are proud to announce that we will be staging an ambitious, multi-layered exhibition at London's Somerset House to open in January 2009. Showcasing a retrospective of SHOWstudio's mould-breaking fashion and art projects around the three central themes of 'Process', 'Performance' and 'Participation',... [more]
A triumph. And under multi-coloured disco lights, no less. A wonderful, wonderful way to end Paris Fashion Week.
Alber Elbaz's show for Lanvin began, uncharcacteristically, with an apology for lateness: unheard of in the fashion world. This note of politesse set the tone for the collection, a well-behaved, well-bred selection of basic satin skirts, trousersuits and cocktail dresses that carried on where his last outing left off. Decoration... [more]
Why should the velvet seats be restricted to an already-priviledged front row? Alber Elbaz - always a perfect gentleman - extends his way way back throughout his Lanvin venue, although with a flickering projection of the house's name on a backdrop of cinematic curtains and Marlene Dietrich on the pre-show... [more]
More of El Odeh's wares were on display a mere Marais walk away in Marios Schwab's showroom. Taking a decided turn for the commercial this season (then again, hasn't just about everyone?), Schwab was evidently looking to widen his fanbase by offering a piece of Schwab at every level. From... [more]
Having missed the London Fashion Week exhibition almost entirely due to a jam-packed show schedule (who says we don't need six days?!), I had a lucky opportunity to venture into Paris' Marais disctrict to view the work of these two Future Tense designers, exhibiting together in a gallery space. Which,... [more]
Even before Star Trek and the Cold War Space Race, Cristobal Balenciaga's remit was always to go where no man had gone before. Nicolas Ghesquiere continues this house tradition, albeit often more in the vein of Balenciaga's decidedly Sci Fi protege Andre Courreges. This season, Ghesquiere was inspired by light:... [more]
That theme tune wasn't from Scottish Widows, it was from Lloyds TSB, and perhaps John Galliano had matters financial on his mind when creating his latest collection. Indeed, this show seemed very much grounded in the here and now - witness a catwalk of derailed trains and glowing embers eerily... [more]
Luckily, that ruddy glow does indicate a source of heat to stave off frostbite for another season. Galliano's set this time - far less schematically complex that his recent shows - is a railway yard's sidings, complete with barricades, bollards, jacked-up carriages and what looks alarmingly like a real catwalk.... [more]
If anyone ever tells you fashion is glamorous don't believe a word of it. John Gallianos show is held way outside the perimeter of Paris in this rather unwelcoming steel bunker. Chic. We've ticked past the start time of 8, but as yet the doors remain bolted. I also swear... [more]
Despite its considerable creative clout, London is unfortunately relative small fry when it comes to financial matters, therefore much of the selling of British-based design goes on in Paris. This season, The British Fashion Council exported a whole raft of Brit young guns to the continent under a single roof... [more]
Visiting the Pierre Hardy showroom is always a pleasure: this time not least because I got to meet the eponymous Monsieur Hardy himself. The collect built on many of the codes established last season - those hit flat metal Escher cubes were reworked in enamel, and even patchworked into rather... [more]
On the back of Thursday's sensational show, I quite frankly couldn't wait to get my hands on Stefano Pilati's latest collection for Yves Saint Laurent. And I was in luck as I managed to snag a re-see the day after the show. Spectacular as the runway shows usually are, its... [more]
Fashion, to an extent, is Darwinian. It's all about the survival of the fittest. And, after 10 years in the wilds of Parisian fashion (including his period at Givenchy), Alexander McQueen has proved his talent can tough it out with the best of them. Darwin formed a central theme to... [more]
A taxidermied myriad of fauna form a fitting backdrop for Alexander McQueen's S/S 2009 collection , 'Natural Dis-tinction Un-Natural Selection'.
Martin Sitbon's Rue Du Mail show was another example of fashion's flash-in-the-pan fascination with the polar extremes of the distant, even neolithic past and a brave new future of sharp tailoring, pointy fins and super-sheened fabrics. It's a pity that Sitbon's show came so late in the week and after... [more]
As an alternative to the hectic pace of Paris Fashion Week Viktor and Rolf chose, this season, to again say 'NO' - no to the show, that is, opting instead to show their wares online at www.viktor-rolf.com. V&R are, of course, no the first to do this - Helmut Lang... [more]
Castelbajac fan Carri Mundane of Cassette Playa heading backstage after the show.
