PFW SS15: Day 1

I wore: kate spade new york coat, skirt & bag, Freda top, J.Crew necklace, Karen Walker glasses and Sophia Webster Image by Georgia Devey Smith

Bienvenue à la belle Paris, mes amis! And yes, I did concoct that sentence using google translate so it may well be grammatically rubbish. As I was reminded during PFW SS15, my french has long since ceased to be anything other than virtually non existent. In my defence I can still order dry white wine, rare steak and ask for my size in a shop and where the toilets are… I mean really, what else does a girl need? Getting back to the point of this post, we’ve finally come to the last leg of our fashion month journey. It’s been amazing, exhausting and nothing if not eventful. Having sadly and very reluctantly had to miss Milan thanks to that bout of gastroenteritis (I promise I’ll stop harping on about it soon) I arrived in Paris totally over excited and determined to make the most of it. I arrived accompanied by my lovely friend Michaela (who you may recall from our stay at The London EDITION) and after the quickest of changes we headed out on the town to wine, dine and mingle at the rewardStyle x Maje party. With a will of steel I didn’t know I possessed, I forced myself home to bed at a reasonable hour. As a result I woke up raring and ready to go, even managing a quick jog along the Seine before heading to show number one, Roland Mouret… I was very tempted to wear my Mouret Galaxy dress in homage to the designer but couldn’t face body con that early in the morning and quite fancied a croissant or two en route washed down with the largest latte I could lay my caffeine grabbing hands on. Instead I went for a double leopard kate spade co ord, setting the tone for a week I suspected would be spent scaring and confusing Parisians with my penchant for print, colour and glitter. Despite making the not entirely sensible decision to walk there, I arrived at the Palais de Beaux Arts in good time to take my seat and indulge in some good old fashioned people watching. Vaguely prompt starts are rare when operating on French time but Roland Mouret kicked off almost on time and was such an utterly fantastic show that any panicky scheduling related thoughts were swiftly banished. Mouret is a designer for whom nothing is more important that the customer. For SS15 he promised a collection designed “just for her” and delivered an array of clothes that the Mouret woman, or any woman in fact, couldn’t help but fall for.

Roland Mouret SS15

Roland Mouret’s mind was firmly on his customer this season, namely the elegant Americans who’ll be shopping at his soon to open Madison Avenue store. The designer will be tempting her in through the doors with one of his most eye enticing collections to date. In a vibrant palette boasting the grassiest of greens, mouthwatering pastels and vivid shades of ruby red and purple, Mouret delivered an ever so slightly sportier offering for SS15 – think mesh panelling and neat zip up dresses with flared hems – without loosing any of the feminine poise that has earned so many of his dresses iconic status. It was clean, sleek and immaculately constructed with wearable separates by way of tailored city shorts and collarless jackets alongside intricately laser cut floral motifs, contrasting pastel panelling obi belted in coral suede, lightweight salt n’ pepper tweeds and of course, killer dresses. Once the show finished to rapturous and well deserved applause my scheduling stress reappeared. I know, I know, nothing ever starts on time but you’ll understand why I was so fussed when I tell you that next on my agenda was Carven. After an unsuccessful attempt to hitch a lift with someone else, I set out in search of a taxi. Finding a taxi in Paris is a complete and utter nightmare. On this occasion however I struck gold and found one in seconds so off we sped towards the Grand Palais and I breathed a sigh of relief. I certainly don’t need to tell you how I feel about Carven, #obsessed doesn’t even begin to cover it. This would be my first time actually attending the show so I was itching with anticipation. Every single season Guillaume Henry’s entire collection ends up on my wish list, and usually some in my wardrobe. Well, it will come as no surprise to hear that SS15 will be no different.

Carven SS15

The looks that sped down the runway adorning languid limbed models were an electrifying affair; sporty meets school girl in sixties silhouettes. Formula 1 inspired ensembles with Japanese influences. That sounds eclectic almost to the point of being a little odd I know but trust me, it was oh so right. Neoprene, snakeskin and PVC came in sleek shapes with thigh skimming hemlines and wetsuit style silhouettes with a palette of monocrome, highlighter yellow and pillarbox red adding to the “go faster” feel of the collection. Henry seemed to play on idea of leisurewear, repackaging it as something covetable and chic in quietly decadent fabrics paired with bags clutched under arm, as if the wearer was in such a rush only a grab n’ go would do. The oriental inspiration shone through in the prints which have been a recurrent theme this season but felt original here applied to chic shifts and pea coats. Of course it wouldn’t be a Carven collection without lace involvement and SS15 saw the fabric asymmetrically panelled alongside cartoony prints, an ingenious update I felt. Another season, another Carven collection I need E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G from, I wouldn’t have expected anything less. I have to say, Paris was wonderfully calm compared to the frenetic pace of New York and London. With a sizeable break until my next engagement, I headed back to my apartment for a few hours work. As is always the case, most of said time was spent frantically answering emails and attempting to generally organise my life then all of a sudden it was time to dash out the door. The penultimate appointment (until evening at least) in my PFW SS15 day 1 diary was the Zadig & Voltaire presentation. I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been that crazy about the brand but I think this collection may have changed that.

Zadig & Voltaire SS15

Firstly, the presentation itself. It was ingeniously grouped by rooms and colour in an under construction building filled with purpose built sets and walls painted to patch the colour palettes of the clothes. After passing through a citrus space you continued on to pinks (my favourite), neon blue and through to monochrome showcased paint spattered a glow in the dark cavern. Even the cocktails served in each one matched, it was a smart and highly insta-friendly move but the pieces themselves still shone through. From sassy minis, party all night bodycon and bag girl leathers to sculpted ruffles, tomboy tailoring and lashings of leather and sparkle, the label delivered a perhaps more varied offering but one that still felt true to the rock n’ roll bohemian aesthetic their fans know and love. All of a sudden I found myself craving a gold lurex trouser suit which, as you can imagine, wasn’t an outfit I’d ever yearned for before. Last up for the day was Christian Wijnants, a designer I knew next to nothing about. This season he looked to the forest and the ocean for inspiration, combining sailcloth and rippling latex that recalled crashing waves topped off by rainproof headwear with luscious shades of earth and evergreen. Texture play and surface decoration played a key role with macramé, crochet, wide loom knits, dotted Swarovski crystals and shredded silks providing giving a feel of richness to wearable separates. It was a rugged kind of luxury that exuded a surprising sensuality and will definitely call me to the Christian Wijnants show next season.

Christian Wijnants SS15

That’s PFW SS15 over and out! But with drinks, dinner and the Balmain party still to come, our night was barely beginning… Love Ella. X