Dries Van Noten - Paris Fashion Week AW15 show report

Δημοσιεύθηκε: 4 Μαρτίου 2015 - 18:39

And so to Paris, and a tiny shift in sartorial perspective as the fashion press commences the last circuit of the autumnal offerings.

So far away from Milan, and yet so very much the same.

At times, the Dries Van Noten AW15 collection, which traditionally marks the unofficial start of Paris Fashion Week, resembled a neat synthesis of all we've seen so far; the shaggy furry collar details, the insouciant styling, the applique flock and skinny Lurex rib knits, the dense fabrications and rich brocades. It was like a crib sheet for all the trends we've seen so far.

Like Gucci and Bottega Veneta and Etro and countless others, the Van Noten show was born from an eclectic starting point: "a symphony of cultural references", read the show notes, which cited Bloomsbury, batik and 19th-century Chinese silkscreen as inspirations. "Individual garments" were layered with "a disregard for the conventions of dressing. Couture and the casual interweave," continued Van Noten of the collection's unkempt elegance.

In short, it was a mash-up: a loose patchwork of influences (best described by Gucci's Alessandro Michele as "attic chic") played with traditional fabrics and contemporary cuts - and vice versa: beadwork, embroidery and sequins were juxtaposed with pyjama silks; brocade apron skirts were tied around washed khaki cargo pants; a full-legged trouser was elevated in velvet, while a jacket with a ruffled peplum was paired with a geisha print jacquard. The accessories - a vast floral corsage worn at the neck, or a canvas weekender - underlined the collection's wanderlusty spirit.

Van Noten has always drawn together disparate elements and bound them in a bohemian aesthetic but, after seeing so much already on the catwalk, it felt a little fusty here - less Wes Anderson chic, more overly earnest art student. Moreover, the sight of so many layered diversions (sherpa, peignoir and pompadour sleeves and bomber jackets) seemed a bit underwhelming when compared with the full fur loafers seen at Gucci in Milan. Dries Van Noten described his collection as "defiant" and "unconventional". But, ironically, it all seemed a bit too on trend.

For more reports from the Paris shows, go to our fashion weeks page on the FT web app, or visit our AW2015 fashion weeks hub on FT.com

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