Paris Fashion Week RTW Fall 2010 Review

Fashionistas the world over waited with baited breathe for the Paris collections to hit the runway and it was well worth the wait. Spectators got a surprise when a few celebrities, supermodels Elle Macpherson, Laetitia Casta and Carmen Cass, made a rare appearance on the Paris runways. However, even these supermodels could not outshine Paris finest.

Leather, fur and lace were the dominant fabrics of the Paris fall ready to wear (RTW) 2010 season. The color pallet for the season remained dark with black reigning supreme followed by rich chocolate browns and smoky hues. Hemlines remained short for the most part with A-line silhouettes, pleated and ruffled styling. Take a look at the designers who best played up these trends and more during Paris Fashion Week fall RTW 2010.

Paris Fashion Week, the best from March 2-3, 2010: Giles

Giles Deacon made up for the lackluster March 2nd opening day of Paris Fashion Week when his fall 2010 RTW collection graced the runway March 3, 2010. Giles Deacon displayed a feminine, chocolate covered fall silhouette with delicious sherbets and beautiful floral dresses to top off the show. Each piece was sensual from his cream-colored bustier to his smoky grey bouffant skirt. Wearable pieces that show off a woman's form in a flattering manner yet still maintains Parisian chic. Best bets for the rack:

- The cream blouson with chocolate edging and skinny tie belt, an easy piece to dress up your current fall wardrobe.

- Chocolate layered look, crinkle skirt with scalloped hem.

Paris Fashion Week March 4, 2010: Balmain's Fall Collection

Christophe Decarnin, head designer of Balmain must have been watching "Purple Rain" each day Balmain's fall 2010 collection was being created. Each piece seemed to pay homage to Prince during his Revolution years and it works. Black was the primary color, however, sexy golden and purple sparks infiltrated the dark terrain of Balmain's fall color palette. The silhouette was slinky and sexy with body hugging bottoms and form fitting knit dresses. Skinny pants in gold, red, charcoal and black were paired with military style jackets, sexy shirts with plunging necklines. Even the 80s shoulder made a comeback with the slinky gilded dresses the models wore while strutting down the runway to Let's Go Crazy. Best bets for the rack:

- Gilded, paisley pantsuit with sheer black shirt.

- Black military jacket with skinny, red leather pants.

The Best of Paris Fashion Week March 5, 2010: Christian Dior

"I know you, little libertine!", this line from the Breeders song Cannonball best describes the feel of John Galliano's fall RTW 2010 collection for Christian Dior. The romance and sensuality of the 18th century libertines shined through in each ensemble. Feminine ruffles mixed with leather trenches beautifully, Galliano made the jodhpur sensual and feminine as Dior's sexy riding attire. Galliano even managed to insert a little kink in the ethereal sheer silk bias cut dresses by showing the models' underwear and pairing the dresses with leather or suede thigh high boots. Best bets for the rack:

- The leather trenches in wine.

- Chocolate, crochet mini halter dress.

Paris Fashion Week March 6, 2010: Jean-Paul Gaultier at His Best

One has to admire a designer who dances to the beat of his own drum and Jean-Paul Gaultier is such a designer. Ignoring the trend convention of the season, Gaultier opted to go the ethnic route with intricate details from places like Mexico, Asia, Uzbekistan even Alaska. These ethnic spices added to signature Gaultier stylings such as his bustier cones and tailored suits. Perhaps the prettiest and most intriguing pieces were the pleated peasant skirts, which were heavily endowed with Spanish influence. Best bets for the rack:

- Asian inspired blue and brown skirt set and black coat with printed blue lining matching the blue Asian print skirt.

- Muted browns pleated skirt ensemble with knit dark brown turtleneck cropped sweater, tapestry printed, pleated skirt with khaki jacket lined in a floral print fabric.

Karl Lagerfeld: Paris Fashion Week Fall RTW March 7, 2010

Lagerfeld had a hit and miss during Paris Fashion Week this fall. Fortunately, the hit was for his signature collection. Lagerfeld created a fall collection of easy, sexy, wearable pieces that are high on style, full of edge and can be worn for more than a night out or a special occasion. A sea of noir and blanc, mixing matte and shine with knits, silks and leathers in impeccably tailored jackets, sexy skirts, nightclub ready pants and body hugging tops. Every woman can wear at least one garment from this collection and look sexy chic instead of trampy. Best bet for the rack: The entire collection.

The Best of Parisian Subtle Chic at Paris Fashion Week March 8, 2010: Guy Laroche

Some love to see extravagant, avant-garde and bold designs at the Parisian shows; however, there is something to be said for subtle chic and Marcel Marongiu said a mouthful with the Guy Laroche RTW fall 2010 collection. While this collection displays elegant clean lines in chocolate and smoky tones, it does take a confident woman to pull off each piece. What is astonishing is how Marcel took heavy fabrics such as tweed or wool knits and made them sultry and chic at the same time. The cut of the garments flatter the female form and command attention to be paid to the wearer. Best bets for the rack:

- Tweed cape paired with chocolate jersey knee length dress.

- Charcoal tweed cape, black leather top paired with black leather and tweed skirt.

The Best of the Best at Paris Fashion Week: Alexander McQueen's March 9, 2010 Show

The final collection designed by the late Alexander McQueen was shown during Paris Fashion Week. While fashion weeks are meant for read-to-wear collections that are to be sold retail or in small boutiques, McQueen's final collection is of Haute Couture caliber. Luxurious brocades and beautiful fabrics made from digital works of arts from the Byzantine era, Old Master painting and Grinling Gibbon carvings, according to Women's Wear Daily. Each ensemble truly is a work of art from the works of art the fabrics were created from to the garments' design and construction. The best piece of the collection, shown last, is a high standing collar jacket made of gold feathers over delicately embroidered tulle. Best bet for the rack: None. This collection is museum caliber, mass production is not worthy of such fine art.

March 10, 2010, the Final Day of Paris Fashion Week Fall RTW: Hermes

Gaultier knocked another one out the park with the fall RTW collection for Hermes. This sharp, witty and sexy collection of tailored black wool and leather feels like outfits that the cast of "The Avengers" might wear or a London gangster. This is not a bad thing, it is actually quite ingenious. Smart, sexy pant and skirt suits with bowlers, canes and umbrellas make for a sharp strut down any street this coming fall. Each ensemble can be broken up and worn with other pieces of your current wardrobe quite easily or with other pieces of this collection. That is how versatile Hermes Fall 2010 RTW collection is. Best bets for the rack:

- Grey Sherlock Holmes skirt suit - leather jacket, wool vest and skirt with white dress shirt and grey tie.

- Black leather "Gangster No.1" suit with bowler - great pieces in this suit to wear with other garments.

Paris Fashion Week When it Fizzles

These are the best of Paris Fashion Week Fall RTW 2010. Even though there were stellar collections, some former show stoppers were misses this season. Karl Lagerfeld hat a hit with his signature collection, however, his snow beast and tundra wear collection for Chanel was a huge miss. The only reason I can think of for why this collection received rave reviews is because Lagerfeld actually used an iceberg as a prop for the show with temperatures in the venue reaching -4 degrees Celsius, causing the spectators to covet the faux fur full body suits. Chanel was not the only major miss as Emanuel Ungaro and Louis Vuitton were not very attractive either. Maybe September's Spring 2011 RTW collections will make up for this season.

Source

http://www.wwd.com/fashion-week/fall-ready-to-wear-2010/paris/review