Last season was the first one in which Bouchra Jarrar (Parisian couture’s best-kept secret) introduced eveningwear in her collections, to everyone’s delight. This season, she repeated the exercise, clearly easing into it with an arresting sense of chic, almost with abandon. No sequins, no lace, no princess volumes. Just a bias-cut ivory satin dress exposing a naked back traversed only by two crisscrossing straps, one of them in gold.
It was pure glamour, as was a silver-blue draped mid-calf number, and a midnight blue gown embellished with black textured sequins which conveyed an edge to an otherwise thirties-inspired collection. Daywear consisted mainly of masculine trousers in satin or cotton gabardine, worn with bandeau tops and sleeveless long coats inspired by men’s robes. The first one, in striped champagne and black silk jacquard, was memorable. So were the tightly-fitted python jackets, interspersed with heavily-embroidered tops in sequins and feathers, birdlike pieces with a warrior edge. The palette was all about subtlety: ivory, rose gold, peach, pearl. And, of course, black. The most wearable of colours brilliantly matched the most wearable of haute couture collections.
