Fashion Locomotive Pulls Into Paris
By CAROL MONGO Associated Press Writer
PARIS Feb 28, 2005 — After New York, London and Milan, the fashion locomotive is pulling into Paris, with 89 catwalk shows in eight days of fall-winter ready-to-wear for 2005-2006.
Yohji Yamamoto immediately had an impact Monday, with a cleaner and perhaps little less rebellious collection than in the past.
It still carried his signature look of contrasting soft and hard elements. The surprise was his use of strong acid-tone, psychedelic colors, breaking out of his traditional black color palette.
Why?
"We noticed how strange the weather has been," said the designer, who admitted backstage that he was a hippy in the 1960s who took LSD at times. "We think next winter is going to be hot, hot, hot!"
The opening garment was a shocking pink floor-length A-line coat dress with a picture collar and bows down the front. That was followed by a fire-engine red overcoat with bows at the back.
After a series of inky black car coats over narrow cuffed trousers, out came a series of garments drenched in Pucci-style prints covered with a light veil of black chiffon to mute the 1970's color palette of bubblegum pink, canary yellow and apple green.
Little dinner suits with jackets sporting super-sized notched collars or multiple layers of collars that accentuated the shoulders were teamed with short skirts and straight trousers. Then came the surprise of a strapless princess-line evening dress with a soft ruffle over the bust and a big bright yellow bow breaking the silence of the black silk crepe.
A pleasantly good collection from Mr. Yamamoto. While there were his classic pieces and cuts, we saw alot of new ideas from the master.
We saw a fluidity in his work in the layered pieces (the next two photos below), as the first look and 8th were fastened by ribbons and chiffon, respectively. And, while delicately stepping into Christian Lacroix territoy, we saw prints and colour.
There were also amazing cristal embellishments. It looked very rock-star chic to me (well he was in a band before...).