PFW: The bright, the fun and the cute one

Cacharel SS11





Sonia Rykiel SS11






Nina Ricci SS11

Images via Style.com

Give me pink and I’ll have a good day. Apparently that was the statement in Cacharel, Sonia Rykiel and Nina Ricci. The colorful palette in all of them made these collections dynamic and cheering, in contrast to the dark shades and long skirts of other designers we’ve seen before. Cacharel went for the fluo colors and acid explosions, always with shorts and skirts to the mini length. Sonia Rykiel went for the stripes, the tunics, the frizzy hair and some touches of yellow and camel. In the other hand Nina Ricci presented a romantic collection, full of soft pinks and nudes; transparencies were also present and the yellow/pink gloves were marvelous. I would say this joyful proposals are a good alternative for the spring minimalism.

PFW: Akris & Céline SS11

Akris SS11

Céline SS11

Phoebe Philo set the standards in a higher level last season. Women all around the world took the Philo-sophy of simplicity, minimalism and wide cotton pants even before all this minimalist wave for SS11 appeared. Everyone was marveled by the down-to-earth collection Céline had presented. So, did Mrs. Philo achieved her own standards this season? Hard to tell. One thing is for sure, this isn’t her A/W Collection. We couldn’t expect to see the same thing for another season (unlike Givenchy or Balmain…). She reinvented her wide cotton pants, giving her more volume and color applied in side stripes. Tunics and box silhouettes were abundant along with the abstract forms of vests and jackets. For some reason I found Akris very similar to Céline. Might have been the wide pants, the use of leather or something else but I really enjoyed it. It was colorful, beautiful and quite precise in the silhouettes, the voluminous long skirts being a highlight. What do you think about minimalism taking over Paris?

Lanvin SS11: 3 things I loved

The insect jewelry with leather straps.







The stilletos (or mirror wedges?) in leather and snake skin


The squared shoulder bags
Images via Style.com

PFW: Lanvin SS11

Mr. Elbaz has always been near the minimalist area. It’s no wonder he actually reached it this time with his Spring collection. And let me tell you, I couldn’t be happier. Luckily Lanvin didn’t fall in the typical minimalism we’ve been seeing for the past weeks from NY to Paris. He actually works a simplicity but a body conscious one. The feminine silhouettes are quite flattering and the tailoring, in my opinion, is sublime. The presence of leather and insect jewelry reaffirm this statement. You can mix several elements and still be simple and elegant. The combination between bodysuits and long skirts (a trend we’ve seen way too much) achieve the goddess concept, just watch Karlie Kloss. Alber Elbaz did a terrific job this time and Lanvin will always be a good choice for sophistication and elegance. 

PFW: Let's go for the punk ones

Balenciaga SS11









Balmain SS11

Here we have two of the most expected shows of Paris Fashion Week. At least I was expecting them anxiously considering Balenciaga’s A/W 2010 block party and the worldwide known Balmania. So you can see why I was mildly disappointed. Both of them used the punk revelation as source of inspiration, but the canalization of this influence was expressed in extreme and opposed ways. While Ghesquière channeled the collection to the “teddy-boy-meets-punk” (style.com) Balmain did a sexy-over the top-punk looks for today’s women. It’s true, Balmain is known for the overexposed sexuality in clothes and the sexual allure in them, but after the baroque collection of last season we were expecting something fresh and new, not the same daring woman who would spend thousand of dollars in pinned holed t-shirts just to look sexy. Balenciaga in the other hand, presented the androgynous look, almost too masculine, using plastic to freshen up the rough graphic patterns. Some might have liked Balenciaga a lot, some might have hated Balmain. Truth is, faithful buyers and fans of these brands will find them safe, consistent and most important, wearable.

PFW: Rochas SS11

Images via Model Couture

The swede style was the main inspiration Marco Zanini used for this Rocha collection. At first we can think of the country side in some Swedish mountain, with floral prints and crinoline dresses but suddenly the collection turned modern and dynamic, with lovely bustiers, gown dresses and some blazers. The knee-socks were recurrent and gave it a hint of a boyish look but the overall result was a very feminine show. Though it’s not groundbreaking it’s quite fresh and the whole collection sticks to what Zanini wanted to portrait.