TOP: Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Givenchy, Elie Saab, Armani Prive; BOTTOM: Christian Lacroix, Valentino, Anne Valerie Hash, Christian Dior
From the recent Met Museum Costume Institute homage to comic book characters, Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, to major gender-bending at the Milan Spring 2009 men's ready-to-wear shows - candy bright colors, skirt-like shorts at Marni, Fendi's feminine platform wedge shoes (!) - a major fashion trend involving escapism is clearly afoot. (One trend forecaster even predicted that men might start wearing Chanel jackets. The very thought.) "Society is in dire need of fiction," explains Li Edelkoort of the Paris-based Trend Union, and the recent Fall 2008 Haute Couture shows complied with enough costumes to satisfy any modern day Marie Antoinette diehard fan of dressing up: body armor looks and exaggerated shoulders, wasp waists defined with obi belt touches, an interesting architectural cello silhouette (a trend already strongly expressed on the London runways), dramatic space age'y getups and coiffures that referenced a costumy future, and backward-looking retro ensembles with romantic Marcel waves, pin up glamour girls, Dior's New Look, Gibson Girl hair, and even a leather cloche clad Amelia Earhart aviatrix.
Here are the Top 10 most interesting trends from the Fall 2008 Haute Couture shows:
- Cello Silhouette
- Significant Shoulders
- Body Armor
- Space Age Style
- Dramatic Obi Waist
- Sassy Stripes
- Retro Redux
- Color! Color! Color!
- Classic Black & White
- Flashy Accessories
TOP: Valentino, Gaultier, Anne Valerie Hash; BOTTOM: Chanel, Chanel, Armani Prive
TOP: first three - Chanel; far right - Anne Valerie Hash; BOTTOM: Lacroix, Armani Prive, Lacroix, Gaultier
TOP: Gaultier, Givenchy, Gaultier, Gaultier; BOTTOM: Dior, Dior, Chanel, Anne Valerie Hash
TOP: Valentino, Chanel, Maison Martin Margiela, Stephane Rolland; BOTTOM: Gaultier, Gaultier, Chanel ("frame"), Dior (Princess Leia buns), Gaultier
TOP: Dior, Gaultier; BOTTOM: Gaultier, Lacroix (closeup only), Chanel
TOP: Givenchy, Valentino, Lacroix; BOTTOM: Givenchy (boot), Dominique Sirop, Chanel, Armani Prive
TOP: Givenchy, Armani Prive, Elie Saab, Lacroix; BOTTOM: Dior, Armani Prive, Lacroix (bag), Dior, Givenchy, Gaultier
TOP: Chanel, Gaultier, Elie Saab, Givenchy, Dior; BOTTOM: Givenchy, Dior, Valentino, Gaultier, Lacroix
TOP: Dior, Maison Martin Margiela, Valentino, Lacroix, Stephane Rolland; BOTTOM: Givenchy, Armani Prive, Lacroix, Dior
TOP: Gaultier "cage", Lacroix lace veil, Gaultier neon green belt, Lacroix bag; BOTTOM: Armani belt, Gaultier metallic sandal, Valentino gold necklace, Chanel encrusted belt, Anne Valerie Hash sculptural necklace, Dior nails & studded cloche, Givenchy boot
- Lesley Scott
(runway photos: style.com & WWD.com)
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