paris fashion week concludes

Agnès b.

Paris Fashion Week came to a peaceful close with designers demonstrating gracefulness with translucent effects. MPMP sparked imagination in a glow-in-the-dark rain jacket, while Rahul Mishra displayed ornate embroidery. Our Spring/Summer 2015 fashion week coverage also ended with Agnès B. and Allude. 

The collection started off sportier and more bohemian than the usual Agnès B. aesthetic and slowly became more colourful and bold in construction. Sharp, multi-coloured printed suits both tailored and polished by a pair of classic brogues heightened the collection in a refreshing way. One stand out look was a two-piece pink mini skirt and printed smart top with the cutest accessory: a canine companion. Shoulder-cut dresses in a three tone painted texture and Bauhaus in shape juxtaposed high-waist ’60s trousers in loud prints, which were muted with black, sleeveless tops. While the collection surprised us in construction and palette, the cut kept true to the label’s signature finish. The finest moment was the finale where smiling models paraded down the runway.

Katrin Reinfurt graduated from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna in the master class of Raf Simons. The German designer marries art and fashion by placing her futuristic clothing in art installations or photographing her look book in the salty hills of outer Mongolia. All pieces are handmade in her own studio. MPMP was founded in 2011 in Beijing, as a brand devoted to emphasizing the mighty forces of nature and using them in fashion and art. Research is done in Beijing, but garments are produced in Europe. Reinfurt’s new collection revolves around the idea of fire. She collaborated with artist Ian Liddle, whose colourful artwork and fragmented sketches light a visual flame in viewers. Reinfurt wished to emulate the inner flame in all of us, whether that be love or energy, and aimed to protect this notion in her work. “Being in China is like being on the moon. Everything is so different,” Reinfurt explained. Harnessing the idea of otherworldliness, the designer created space jackets made of fabrics that she developed with her team. They are constructed of anti-synthetic paper that is used in actual laboratories. There are even garments that glow in the dark. Patterns of numerous eyes were omnipresent, resembling the intense texture of a blaze.

Allude

Andrea Karg titled Allude’s new collection “Embracing Uncertainty,” a way to describe an inclination of not following any predefined rules in today’s world. Likewise, the Creative Director illustrated her brazenness of manipulating cashmere in exciting ways. There were long, sushi-rolled bags and geometrical patterns on transparent skirts. Tassels reigned throughout, as did appliqué details and cut-outs. Several rhinestone dresses made their way into the collection with untreated cashmere and fringing. Plaid capes made for a powerful look. The mix of pinstripes and plaid was harmonious in shades of navy, black, and cream. “The collection interprets jacquards, vichy, and pepita in an entirely new way by strategically playing with different knits,” Karg explained. Nude hues softened seemingly harsh colour contrasts. Allude brought cashmere to spring, joyfully and inventively so.

Masha Ma / Photography Shoji Fuji

Inspired by earth tones, Masha Ma transported us to a utopian world full of mini-skirts and masks in nude, with strokes of pastels. Circular rings illuminated the catwalk. Ma presented beautifully folded skirts in neutral tones paired with ruffled sleeved tops and a tight peplum in mustard. The combinations became softer in volume and resembled elements of sportswear, with a slouchy, knitted navy sweater. Ma always explores contemporary yet youthful expressions of femininity in her designs; this season was no exception.

Moon Young Hee / Photography Michele Montagne

Known for pushing the more romantic side of avant-garde fashion forward, Moon Young Hee presented the first look of a double collared white shirt paired over a black V-neck dress. There was something unutterably lavish as the looks became more tailored in construction, with a softened black blazer with scrunched up sleeves, dressed down with a voluminous skirt. The Korean designer’s style is both idiosyncratic and powerfully personal, shown by a knee-length dress with black and white cut-outs and black ruffled sleeves in organza. Relaxed in shape and ever-so-light, Moon Young Hee’s creations finished off fashion week with a beautiful story on dark romance, like flipping through the heart of captivating poem.

Rahul Mishra

Rahul Mishra, the India-born designer who was the recipient of the Woolmark Prize in 2014, debuted his ‘Ferryman’s Tale’ collection. Inspired by traditional Japanese artworks, Mishra showcased ornately embroidered geometrical and floral patterns spread over dresses and jackets; matched with a sheer aesthetic that revealed feminine sensuality. Neutral hues of black and aged-white calmed the runway; the models floated like a boat over night waters. Primrose yellow tones – perhaps reflections of a pale moonlight – intermixed with pastel metal greys, expanding the simple colour palette of the collection. Side-waist mesh details proved delicate on hugging body-con dresses that fell to floor lengths. Meanwhile, modern interpretations were further explored with metallic full-length zips on translucent coatdresses designed using ancient Chintz textile manufacturing, creating an ode to the past and present on the final day of Paris Fashion Week SS15.