Leave it to the Japanese masters of the avant-garde to take inspiration from the particularly cold winter this year. On the runways in Paris, Rei Kawakubo (for Comme des Garcons), Yohji Yamamoto and Junya Watanabe took the idea of Bedroom Chic to an extreme, ensconcing their models in voluminous, duvet-type coats, either in black, dark grey, or in Yamamoto’s case, cocooning them in bright graffiti-tattoo designs. At Comme, one model’s head was literally bolstered with little cylindrical cushions.
Plaid was a big story that many designers checked out. A more refreshing take on it, however, came from the Brits, particularly the Punk Plaid versions from Giles— an acid green hue and black lines were juxtaposed with feminine ruffles at the hem — and Vivienne Westwood, who paired her tartan-blanket-in-the-Adirondacks coat with a disco metallic striped skirt.
Mixed Media was also en vogue at Marni and Miu Miu. Marni layered wool over fur over feathers, in warm hues of burgundy, cobalt and taupe; while Miu Miu layered knit dresses over a grommeted PVC minki-skirt, or a neon-colored PVC trench over loose-fit cable-knit sweaters.
Meanwhile, the Swinging Sixties were alive chez Saint Laurent Paris and casa Valentino. Shorter hems and A-line dresses, sometimes topped with shag fur coats — all with graphic prints and contrasting colors, will make for a fun winter season.
Also jazzing things up were Clashing Prints, especially at Peter Pilotto and Stella Jean. Bold, colorblock stripes on tops were paired with voluminous, long skirts with floral or nature prints — a visually riotous combination that works delightfully well.
Other designers used different ways to add visual interest to garments through tailoring. Raf Simons at Christian Dior, Viktor & Rolf, and Yohji Yamamoto opted for Asymmetric Ruffle Hems. At Dior, the ruffled scarves hung slightly askew, giving the illusion of an unevenly-cut coat. Viktor & Rolf made a dress that started as a bustle on the model’s right hip that then dramatically swept down toward the floor. A coat by Yamamoto, meanwhile, just morphed from a nondescript grey on the right into a blue-and-grey ruffle panel on the left.
Showing off a more animalistic side were Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton, and up-and-coming Australian Dion Lee, who trotted out Crocodile Dundee-inspired, body-skimming, femininely tailored dresses.
What does one throw over such an aggressive outfit to soften it up? Patchwork Coats, of course. Both Roksanda Ilincic and Topshop Unique rolled out stunning versions in fur, lending a couture quality to an otherwise domestic idea.
Two graphic looks round up Blouin Artinfo’s top trends for Fall 2014: De Stijl, which was paired with wonderful menswear-tailoring at both Givenchy and Yeohlee in color blocks of white, black (or dark grey) and red; and graph paper motifs, which were seen executed on soft fabrics with feminine tailoring, at Tod’s and Sacai.
