\ RUNWAY MAGAZINE ®

November 12, 2011

RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Pret-a-porter Spring Summer 2012 Parisian Fashion Week

FOLLOWING FASHIONISTA AND WHITE FOP

Paris printed Spring Summer 2012 into bold daring colors and blooms. Splendid organic lines, graphic images and bright palettes flourish in silhouettes of new Pret-a-porter collections. Tropical floating faeries of Marcel Marongiu, giant floral prints from Mediterranean of Leonard, rainbows and flower-head birds of Issey Miyake, metallic sparks of Paco Rabanne – wonderful heaven for every woman who finally can wrap herself in all kind of lights and colorful clouds.




on photos from left to right:
Fashion Editor of Moon One TV Franck Clere.
Presentation of Casaire Paciotti in Plaza Anthenee
Two street shoots

New season is the return of femininity: from floral patterns to elegant silhouettes, this season is all about playing up your feminine features. The runways have been littered with flapper-inspired pieces, complete with fringed embellishments and drop waists. Floating silhouettes with floor length skirts, silk taffeta and layers galore marks the return of bright dreams of happiness from over the rainbow. It’s all about rich tribal patterns and ethnic shapes. Texture is always important in tribal. Mixing it up with wood, metallic and feathered items for real depth.


On Photos from left to right:
Fashion Editor of Japanese Vogue magazine Anna Dello Russo
Top Model Anja Rubik

How deep could it be? - wondering Fashionista and without second thought jumping after that White Fop with pocket watch. She still sees him checking every minute before it all starts – the twister of colors and forms. Let's see what would we have here?!
Literally lighting up woman of Paco Rabanne is a product of high-tech luxury, mix of contemporary art and organic forms. Fiber optics light up clothes from the inside, and in shades such as organic teal, antique gold and fiery red, the use of iridescent silks, graphic moire effects, degrade mesh, and numerous special “metallic” fabrics provide lustrous effect for every move. Manish Arora – new designer of house, experimented with futuristic forms not only for collection of Paco Rabanne but for his own. He takes us along an exiting journey of iridescent and florescent infusions, full of breathtaking energies amalgamated with 3-d wire work, embroideries reminiscent of swish feathers, painted in “nude” colors.







Another fascination expedition for Fashionista to the contemporary space where Humpty Dumpty grows to the size of Galaxy – is new collection of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac “Rustica Galactica”. In this temporal space trip the past sophistication turns into future rusticity. Lie Sang Bong created his universe out of Dancheong – the art of decorative colors painted on wooden buildings and artifacts. Neon dresses and masks give a kaleidoscopic display under lightning of peacock's feathers. The organic movement and the feeling of neon color permeated into the clothes. Another designer who created her universe out of Art Deco images, Fatima Lopez presented her space of Egyptian figurines, incongruous mixes of architecture and paradoxical designs.





Life in “Dodo colors” - is a wonderful discovery of new paradise of Yoshiyuki Miyamae. In his first collection for Issey Miyake designer created beautiful world of innocent wonder birds waiting for the comfits, reflecting their desires all around – in colors, fabrics, jumpsuits and dresses billow with movements. Steffie Christianens delicately twisted these colorful birds into magnetic forces of nature and turned them into the flowers. Futuristic images are floating from one collection to another. Unresistant attraction of tropical island is new addiction of Paule Ka designer Serge Cajfinger.





In the world of prodigious blooming flowers Veronique Leroy for Leonard exposed her imagination like never before – pastel hued with dynamic cuts and forms reflect petals, that are about to unfold and reveal their inner beauty. Tropical turquoise and red prints of Emmanuel Ungaro on jersey dresses energize this paradise, symbolize open communication and clarity of thoughts. Clarity of prints in new collection of Marcel Marongiu for Guy Laroche creates an image of unearthly floating being. Precision-tailored leather pieces, including a Tyrolean grey skirts and grey silk dresses, that curling around the waist and running down the legs, are beautiful reminders of Shangri-la's waterfalls.





Andrew Gn advises to his Fashionista to make a jump from magical paradise to simplicity of Queen of Hearts Croquet Garden. Who she's able to meet there? Of course the Royal guards of AF Vandevorst, all plume tight, and pink flamingos of Louis Buchinho. There's also painted pink white roses of Costume National, dancing quadrille creatures of Agnes B, and royal retinue dressed by Alexis Mabille.







But the most exiting part of the adventure when it all tosses and turns into magic extravaganza of Chanel, John Galliano, Hakaan and Elie Saab collections. Elie Saab dipped all his garments into illuminated bold colors: cape-sleeved chiffon dresses, deep purple-blue pantsuits, sensual pleated tops and lace layering skirts. It's all started in white, and then it all happened again in English mustard yellow, graduating to dusky orange, bright green, purple and finally blue.



At Chanel we found ourselves wandering in a bleached white sea bed with giant shells, sea horses and sea weed climbing up towards the huge, glimmering shower curtain. As the twinkling harp music turned to haunting classical music and then Florence Welch took us to the world of delicate sea creatures darting out from the white in cream dresses of sea foam lace, pearlised tweed suits with full skirts and jackets cut shoulder-blade high at the back to show off pearl-studded spines, iridescent sequinned dresses falling to pale green ostrich feather skirts. This magic continued by Karl Lagerfeld in collection of Hogan.





Hakaan gave a polished look of super sleek urban clothes, some of which allowed us to imagine that he would captured Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel mermaids in his own fishing net, so naked were they beneath their mesh tops and sheer body con dresses – even their hair was still wet. When they were covered, it was in clean white tailored blazers or mesh-backed bomber jackets, tunic and tops. Another serene collection, almost as if all the showmanship we associate with Galliano had been stripped down to present the most significant elements of Old England: floral dresses and long coats.





Well our Fashionista is home now – in reals world where the long grass rustled at her feet, where she could hear the rattle of the teacups as the March Hare and his friends shared their never-ending tea-time and never ending happiness, growing day by day in great and beautiful world, unfolding in bright and daring colors.





Eleonora de Gray


Photographers:
Pierre-Yves Le Strat
Simon Ackerman
Christian Tarro Toma

September 20, 2011

RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Vogue Fashion Night Out on Avenue Montaigne 2011

8 September 2011. Paris. There is only one place to be – avenue Montaigne, the heart of fashion. The most famous fashion street world over. Glamour, chic, fame – this is an art to walk on this avenue tonight. The great world of fashion unfolds all specter of colors and styles. Thousands of people came to celebrate Vogue Night Out, taste champagne of big houses and buy extraordinary pieces from the hands of creators. How about trying dress under professional look of Jean Paul Gaultier himself, and to see how he is getting you a jacket to ensemble your dress, and ask you to try the shoes? You can't resist, you can't refuse such offer.





Everything is possible for every Cinderella until midnight. Although your new extra luxurious outfit won't turn into tatters later on. Because we are not living in fairy tale – this is reality. You can drive Vogue fancy cars exhibited on streets, looking like pumpkins, but they were fashioned that way to amuse modern Cinderellas, to make them feel the art of speed on highway. Not a golden flourish carriage but ultra speed “pumpkin” can bring you from one place to another faster then wave of magic wand.





Envy to try this modern amusement after greeting Olivier Rousteing - new designer of Balmain, three top models Anja Rubik, Isabeli Fontana and Natasha Poly gave last sparkle look to the photographers and left. Top models with new editor-in-chief of French Vogue magazine Emmanuelle Alt, followed by photographers and exited crowed, were visiting couple of big shops on avenue Montaigne, giving away couple of kisses here and there, making up this evening for everyone who was there.





After visiting the greatest ones, under irresistible influence of my dearest friend editor-in-chief of Moon One TV, noble and brilliant Franck Clere, me and my fashion crew did detour to couple of ultra modern shops, giving our admiration to the new raising stars of High fashion. Never in the world I would miss a chance to be kissed by the one and only, the fairy Prince Charming of magic elegant classic couture Marcel Marongiu, designer of Guy Laroche, and to be turned into Princess by his magic touch. His artistic creativity has no limits or boundaries. There are still in my mind his pieces from Spring Summer 2011 collection: floating feminine looks in muted romantic colors, black and white contemporary ensembles; and the amazing off-the-shoulder red dresses from Fall Winter 2011-2012 collection. I can't wait to see his new creations to be rapt to the heaven of refined sophisticated subtile world.





Meeting on street Yassen Samouilov, designer of new Haute Couture house “On aura tout vu” (We've seen everything), with his team was one of high lights of my evening. Yassen is always amused with the play of fabrics, objects, light, colors, so the true and false are always intermingling in the collection. Live pigeons, eggs, feathers and aviation accessories took over the runway of his last Spring Summer Haute Couture collection. In his imagination there are never enough sparkle, never enough feathers and never enough mix of classic elegant European forms and Afro-Asian motives. He showed me his new play this time – the jewelry collection, “insected” into Venetian style. Strong and romantic way to make the style and finish the look. What can I do for him more then to bright his sparks in front of France 2 TV, and give away all his creative brilliance?





“These boots are made for walking”, and not only for watching - that is the only hope every woman has when she gets herself an exquisite pair of high heels. That night on avenue Montaigne was the perfect place to see how hard could it be: six hours of walking and after-midnight dancing with the most courageous team of boutique Atmosphere. Anyway it was solid “proof of the pudding”.





There is always a star dust in the last moments of passing away evening. The moments what we appreciate the most are the moments when we open in front of each other and capable to be like kids with bold honesty, dancing, laughing, turning this world upside down, and feel happy about it. These moments what I have with my team I treasure the most. My team are my wonderful photographers, designers, cameramen, journalists, and anyone else who shares with us this spirit of always newborn creativity.





Fashion world is not a superficial luxurious environment – it is the world of always reborn creative energy from it's own dust like Phoenix. This night is out. All lights are down and we are already ready for new adventure tomorrow on all streets of Paris. Fashion is everywhere under the sun, and gives it sparks at night to everyone who is capable to feel it.




Eleonora de Gray

Photographer Pierre-Yves Le Strat