Colombian designer Jorge Duque presented his creations in Medellín on the opening night of Colombiamoda. The first winner of the Latin American version of Project Runway in 2010, he staged the show among the oak barrels of the Fabrica de Licores de Antioquia distillery.
Like nearly every other country on earth, Colombia — its textile sector, in particular — was pounded in 2001 by profound global economic adjustments when China entered the World Trade Organization (WTO). That addition caused Colombia's fashion exports to tumble by half from a peak of $1.5 billion.
Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli turned up the drama for fall couture, with regal ruffs, floor-sweeping gowns, and an overall formal tone.
Sustainable couture? In a way, yes. Viktor & Rolf recycled fabrics from previous seasons for their couture collection today, called Vagabond, which they wove, braided, and knotted into their usual dramatic volumes. The Dutch designers also showed a lot of denim and a lot of pants. It's a new day for couture...
For couture, John Galliano again spliced Maison Margiela's yen for ironic minimalism with his own penchant for eccentric extremism — anonymity with personality.
Giles Deacon paid homage to the plant kingdom — roses, ferns, seaweed — for his regal couture debut...
For his Chanel couture show, always a marvel of set design, Karl Lagerfeld recreated the maison's original atelier on rue Cambon within the Grand Palais, complete with working seamstresses on the runway, busy putting the finishing touches on the 70-something looks and staging live fittings while guests looked on.
Sound waves — in particular, the rippling shapes they make when graphed — informed Iris Van Herpen's couture collection today.
For Schiaparelli couture, designer Bertrand Guyon had the clever idea to reimagine Elsa Schiaparelli's iconic Circus collection from 1938.
