A definite example of the Raf-at-Dior effect. Ever since Simons arrived at the French house, he has worked strapless looks into his collections with verve and modernity. Last Friday, in Paris, he did it again with silk bustiers, either as the tops of dresses or as a separate top with a skirt. Alexander Wang’s largely successful Balenciaga debut (above) featured a black bustier with cigarette trousers. Very Raf-at-Dior. Stella McCartney also featured a strapless pinstripe day dress, as well as strapless cocktail numbers, while Margiela took a mannish shirt and made it strapless
Photograph: credit : Balenciaga/Aurore Probst
No, it’s not the new black but it may be the new camel, ie the shade most likely to provide a break from all the black this autumn. Pink momentum gathered in London, from pale to Pepto-Bismol, at Topshop Unique, Richard Nicoll and Simone Rocha. In Paris, Dries Van Noten’s brilliant Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers-inspired collection featured pink feathers and pink embroideries. Other pink spots: Dior’s delicate pale-pink coat dress, Chanel’s heathery-pink mini-skirt suit while Carven showed excellent powdery-pink coats (above). Too girlie? See Stella’s deep violet as an alternative Photograph: Rex Features
Laundry bags are officially haute (again). Phoebe Philo’s excellent collection at Céline (above) featured four looks revolving around the checks associated with them, while Stella McCartney included two coats with a similar riff. But these are not the only checks in the game for autumn. There’s plaids – see Saint Laurent, then buy one from the menswear floor of Uniqlo. Lanvin had a tweedy houndstooth, as did Dior, whose came in typically classic monochrome. Junya Watanabe was a riot of checks with brilliant pairs of jeans boasting patchwork plaids with a grungy DIY flavour. Basically though, Bretons should remain archived for another season at least Photograph: Pixelformula/sipa/Rex Features
Stella McCartney had nine baseball caps in her show – some grey, some black. In its Paris fashion week debut, high-street brand H&M mustered up 10 fisherman caps while Neil Barrett, whose sporty, sharp, minimalist collection is well worth studying for next season, raised the baseball-cap stakes to 12. Naturally, though, none of them could quite compete with Karl Lagerfeld’s latest Chanel epic (above), which saw a whopping 21 furry helmets in shades of rose, bright teal and a classic lipstick rouge. Givenchy, meanwhile, takes the hair prize – models sported coloured kiss-curled hair that looked like swim caps Photograph: Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images
It is customary for fashion designers to reference artists in their work – it sounds fancy in the press release. But with designers such as Raf Simons at Dior and Phoebe Philo at Céline – both of whom are at the top of their game – you genuinely believe art informs their world. Simons, in an homage to Christian Dior’s own career as a gallerist, had a Magritte-inspired runway with 1950s Andy Warhol drawings embroidered on to the clothes and accessories (above). Philo’s inspiration scrapbook featured Flemish paintings, which influenced her colour palette while Van Eyck and Sarah Lucas also featured. These collections triumphed
Photograph: François Guillot/AFP/Getty Images
Tailoring that winks and nods and generally takes its cues from menswear is a headline theme running through the collections for autumn/winter. Stella McCartney’s pinstripe heavy show (a bit Comme?) saw tailored jackets with awkward skirts and coats with large rounded shoulders. The takeaway trend, though, is for a pair of wide trousers, which showed up at Givenchy, Margiela, Vanessa Bruno and Haider Ackermann to name but four. Dior’s haute denim “Bar” trouser suits came with rippling bottom halves, while Van Noten opened his show with the perfect pair of wide, grey wool trousers and mannish laceups (above) Photograph: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Soft really is the new power shoulder. Labels from Carven to Céline and Chanel to Mugler have all favoured a silhouette that curves around the shoulders rather than jutting out from them. The Balmain show, for all its disco-meets-superhero high-energy spark, underlined that super wide jackets have no place in a modern women’s wardrobe circa 2013 – too clumpy. Meanwhile, Balenciaga’s rounded shoulder tops and jackets look likely to end up being snaffled up by all the most cutting-edge editors and stylists. Kenzo (above) also had plenty of takes on this look, from furry to golden. Modern Photograph: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Wet-look hair and Brit-pop soundtracks have been back in the fashion frame this season, while at Colette, the cult Parisian concept store, an exhibition of Marcelo Krasilcic’s 1990s photographs is on display. But no one quite injected the spirit of Courtney Love and the grunge era with as much literal gusto as Hedi Slimane for his second women’s collection at Saint Laurent (above). Plaid shirts, slouchy cardigans, biker boots and baby doll or slip dresses all ticked the 90s box, and divided opinion. Interestingly, the grungy spring/summer collection by Dries Van Noten seems like a much fresher take on the look Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous, but skirts really are in next season. In London and Milan, a flippy little pleated kilt or skater number emerged triumphant (especially when worn with a jumper). A variation on this look also appeared as part of classic skirt suits at Chanel. Givenchy’s collection (above) featured hems that swish and flick – stills of this collection do not do it justice – while Lanvin offered pleats or pin-tucked hems. It was Céline’s skirts, though, ones that hugged the hips before gliding into a chic flare, that looked the most directional Photograph: Pixelformula/sipa/Rex Features
Stella McCartney’s footwear (above), from black ankle boots to white hospital ward-style shoes, came beefed up with thick soles reminiscent of heavy-duty tyres. In fashion circles, it’s a look being dubbed “tractor soles”. In Milan, Miuccia Prada added that level of chunk to her silver or tan catwalk sandals, while her ankle boots (they’ll sell like crazy) also featured hefty treads. Carven’s shoes also towered on their Parisian catwalk. And if all this seems like too much of a balancing act, you can always plump for a flat Saint Laurent biker boot, which accessorised the whole show Photograph: Alfred/sipa/Rex Features
