SPECIAl REPORT
Paris Fashion Week
This week was Paris’ turn to triomphe. The now-weary fashion pack descended upon the sweltering city, while the online world turned their attentions to the Tuileries too. In the final of our city round-ups, we bring you our analysis of the week.
Using buzz and sentiment generated online, we can accurately assess which were the hottest topics of the week. 300,000+ tweets and updates from fashion movers and shakers form the basis of our information and here we present Paris’ top designers, styles and prints.
Graphing online buzz
Online buzz generated by key PFW designers over the last 12 months
SS 2011
AW 2011/12
SS 2012
Online buzz generated by key PFW styles over the last 12 months
SS 2011
AW 2011/12
SS 2012
Online buzz generated by key PFW prints over the last 12 months
SS 2011
AW 2011/12
SS 2012
Paris is burning
Paris, the cool, older cousin of the fashion family, had its feathers ruffled this week. As the unseasonable heat struck, venues were roasting; leaving front-row darlings wilting in their carefully selected A/W ensembles. A host of over-heated tweets described the desperate situation. But not to fear, for the clever bods at Net-a-Porter packed up a van of their lightest garbs and sent it Paris-bound.
And then there was Balenciaga, whose ambitious perspex front row broke, resulting in poor Carine Roitfield and a whole host of hot-under-the-collar editors having to perch atop their stilettos to take in the show. Quelle horreur!
We could go on (yo Kanye, we’re really happy for you...) but Paris’ collections had some tough acts to follow from the previous weeks. The clothes were quite lovely, and very wearable, and will sell well, but many fell short of the impact of New York, the daring of London and the fun of Milan. Chanel however, with their luxurious underwater collection, left the rest in its wake.
Key looks from the catwalk
How were the big looks received?
Key Fashion Week Tweets
@CathyHorynNYTValli goes white, silvery + short with the odd fleecy skirt or coat yfrog.com/o0bd1wcoj
@NylonMagchanel - under the sea. pearls everywhere. scalloped hemmed detail, shell bags&heels. shimmery. coral&sea-foam green iridescence. #pfw JDE
@DazedMagazinePFW S/S 12 | Opulent make-up and gilded lace made for extravagant and exotic looks at the Westwood show ow.ly/6KYgb
@rumineelyLOVED Kanye tonight. So strong and clean. Here's Anja in the opening look - twitpic.com/6tnxki
@vogue_londonWhat happens when a surfer falls in love with a mermaid? Riccardo Tisci's Givenchy #pfw collection bit.ly/p6taxH
@VogueParisRobes, manteaux et combinaisons en brocart pailleté, portés avec des bottines en serpent vert d'eau ou mimosa chez Giambattista Valli #pfw
@derekblasbergVery proud of my homies Humberto Leon and Carol Kim for their colorful debut collection for Kenzo! (And their fierce model, Chloe Sevigny)
@womensweardailyYves Saint Laurent boasted a structured lineup into which Stefano Pilati incorporated considerable volume: bit.ly/qyTZ1j#pfw
@wallpapermag#fashion Look for our upcoming profile of Rei Kawakubo's secret weapon: contemporary artist Kohei Nawa twitpic.com/6ugmu5
@BipLingwowsers CHANEL was BEAUTIFUL.. :D white under the sea fishy coral shells shiny scales oh hello there.
@SHOWstudioGivenchy was a slipstream of pastels and trained tailoring, giant shark tooth pendants, fishscale sequins, waterfall ruffles. More peplums/p>
@BALENCIAGASpring/Summer 12 Fashion Show Photos available on Facebook on.fb.me/qJf9T1 and on our website bit.ly/qmjjrO
Buzz + Sentiment = Fashion Week's Top 10
1. Chanel
Seen on: Tuesday
Karl Lagerfeld knows about celebrity; he created it. Picking Florence Welch to appear from a giant seashell singing ‘What the Water Gave Me’ was no accident, the Grammy-winning artist would surely draw attention. The collection was striking with its un-Chanel-like iridescent fabrics and clear plastic raincoats. There was no escaping the underwater theme in the flamboyant set, given the mermaid models and pearl embellishments. The tweeds, bouclés, suiting - it was all there, yet this was a collection moving beyond the archetypal Chanel.
Close2. Balmain
Seen on: Thursday
After Christophe Decarnin’s sudden exit earlier this year, Olivier Rousteing’s first catwalk collection for Balmain was a resounding success: seeing the label top the list of PFW’s most talked about. Seamlessly adopting the house style, the SS12 collection had all the right references; the gold leather, skin-tight trousers, studding and embellishment. Rousteing worked a little of his own magic into the toreador-themed collection, with sweeping bleached denim maxi skirts and slouchy tees providing a welcome contrast to razor sharp cropped jackets.
Close3. Lanvin
Seen on: Friday
Never one to be dictated to, Alber Elbaz steered clear of feminine frippery that was shown elsewhere in Paris for SS12, presenting something altogether different. Crumpled pencil skirts, sleeveless tux jackets and blouses slashed at the seams, slinked alongside hastily pinned dresses and an embellished snake, which slithered up a dress and around the wearer’s neck. Yes, there were sporty references and religious motifs, but the overall look was sultry; the undercurrent, pure sex. It seems critics were left quite breathless.
Close4. Balenciaga
Seen on: Thursday
Register to read more5. Dries Van Noten
Seen on: Wednesday
Register to read more6. Christian Dior
Seen on: Wednesday
Register to read more7. Rick Owens
Seen on: Thursday
Register to read more8. Isabel Marant
Seen on: Friday
Register to read more9. Miu Miu
Seen on: Wednesday
Register to read more10. Yves Saint Laurent
Seen on: Monday
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Top 10 Designers
1. Vintage
Seen in: Rue du Mail, Nina Ricci, Vionnet
Beautiful Parisian showrooms and hotels were the perfect backdrop to the vintage trend seen across the city. At Nina Ricci, draped silk shift dresses in blush pink were shown alongside gossamer lace skirts and conical brassieres. Rue du Mail’s referencing plundered different decades, with 20s inspired dropped-waist dresses, leg ‘o’ mutton sleeved blouses and clever Art Deco seam lines. All very pretty and pleasant... but it was Sharon Wauchob’s deconstructed and twisted take which really mixed things up.
Close2. Feminine
Seen in: Alexis Mabille, Valentino, Dior
NYC and London’s top trend (feminine) made a coquettish appearance in the French capital too. Alexis Mabille’s wispy-haired maidens wore piped-edge, flouncy-skirted gowns with a smattering of crochet flowers and silk camisole slips tucked into sequinned skirts. Valentino’s show was a demonstration of pure lace wizardry. The lace dress was updated boldly, colourfully; the antithesis of insipid. Every form of lace was visited; tiered, lasered, punched, and took form in shifts, maxis and column dresses.
Close3. 1950s
Seen in: Rochas, Jean Charles de Castelbajac
Whilst ranking top 10 in other fashion cities, it was in Paris that the 50s trend really had its moment. Among a fleet of others, Louis Vuitton referenced the decade in their pastel argyle knit playsuits and prim prom dresses. Large-scale brocade decked frock coats and bracelet-sleeved jackets were sent out with matching full skirts. Rochas backed the trend too, with their nipped-in waists and full skirted dresses, styled with headscarves and cat-wing specs.
Close4. Oversized
Seen in: Véronique Leroy, Hermès
Register to read more5. Minimal
Seen in: Akris, Nicolas Andreas Taralis
Register to read more6. Tailoring
Seen in: Givenchy, Hussien Chalayan
Register to read more7. Sporty
Seen in: Felipe Oliveira Baptista
Register to read more8. Ladylike
Seen in: Léonard, Yves Saint Laurent
Register to read more9. Futuristic
Seen in: Gareth Pugh, Balenciaga
Register to read more10. Retro
Seen in: Stella McCartney, Loewe
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Top 10 Styles
1. Floral
Seen in: Cacharel, Christian Dior
Florals, huge across all three prior fashion weeks, still reign in Paris, though they take a different direction. At Vanessa Bruno, ditsy florals had a girlish feel. Patch-worked, they featured in flippy dresses as well as on an anorak which softened the sports trend. Dior presented a prim and proper floral with a 50s feel on a puff-skirted silhouette. Keeping to traditional forms, the French florals were not as bold or experimental as elsewhere and made a lesser impact.
Close2. Stripes
Seen in: Akirs, Chloé
Stripes, which dropped down the chart for Milan, are back in at 3rd position in Paris. Akris, who’ve corned the market in their mastery of photoprints, cleverly manipulated a racing car to create their sleek stripe. The speed demons’ sports-themed collection was slick and fresh and the stripes monotone. At Chloé a fluid collection of a-line dresses saw sun-ray stripes bursting from the neck and fanning out across full skirts. Knife pleat dresses with blocked stripes added a healthy dose of luxe richness to the sports theme.
Close3. Leopard
Seen in: Givenchy, Limi Feu
Despite only appearing as a trim and in accessories, leopard print is exceptionally popular online and is a reoccurring theme in street style. At Givenchy a structured leather dress bore the print in murky shades and was paired with khaki trim and polo neckline. It was used sparsely as a trim elsewhere in the collection, bringing a rough edge to the otherwise sporty selection. Limi Feu also applied the leopard touch lightly, with some models wearing printed tights.
Close4. Checks
Seen in: John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood
Register to read more5. Patchwork
Seen in: Isabel Marant
Register to read more6. Snakeskin
Seen in: Anthony Vaccarello
Register to read more7. Polka Dot
Seen in: Stella McCartney
Register to read more8. Zebra
Seen in: Martin Grant, Véronique Leroy
Register to read more9. Paisley
Seen in: A.F. Vandervorst, Léonard
Register to read more10. Tie Dye
Seen in: Isabel Marant, Cacharel
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Top 10 Prints
About EDITD
EDITD connects fashion, luxury and apparel people with the data they need to make better decisions. EDITD is a cloud-based social, commercial and factual observation instrument, giving businesses the ability to quickly understand trends and market dynamics, both historically and in real time. Far beyond inspiration, EDITD is factual information; essential for how the fashion industry is evolving.
