In Part I, we covered what the one and only C trio (Chanel, Christian Dior, Comme Des Garcons) churned out, but from Haider Ackermann’s dreamy midnight-coloured collection to Marc Jacob’s retro mania, Paris Fashion Week still had a wide array of other intriguing collections to take in. Read on for Twin’s final list of favourites this S/S 13 season…

 

Stella McCartney

Considering the fact that she has collaborated with the likes of Adidas, no one does sporty quite like Stella. Energetic bursts of neon orange peaked out underneath a sheer silk sweatshirt whilst black and white printed strapless jumpsuits and oversized shirt-dresses were given an easygoing slouch thanks to a dropped waistline, all topped off with surprisingly wearable Lucite platforms. McCartney described the collection as “a conversation between a man and a woman” and thanks to the relaxed and loose-fitting silhouettes, there was something there for the elegant tomboy in every one of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haider Ackermann

This S/S 13 season, man of the moment Haider Ackermann gave us something to dream about. Sheer silk and lace were wrapped around the body with the designer’s trademark fluid draping, in nighttime sky colours of ivory, midnight blue, black and a shimmering dark grey. A first was the use of geometric prints and polka dots, but even these rather atypical elements were melded into the harmonious collection. It’s safe to say that there are countless more breathtakingly beautiful collections like this one to come on Ackermann’s horizon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balenciaga

After an eighties, sci-fi flashback, this season saw a more formal Balenciaga woman come to the forefront. Nicolas Ghesquière may have constrained his colour palette to mostly black, white, nude, and charcoal colours but thanks to ruffled thigh-high cuts and plenty of upper midriff exposure, the sex appeal was as much there as ever. From the first pair of front-pleated, high waisted trousers to the last coated guipure lace dress, it  was a testament to the fact that even without the futuristic drama, Ghesquière is more than capable of getting, and keeping, our attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louis Vuitton

Marc Jacobs has become the designer of Paris you can count on for a complete fashion 180, and this season was no exception. In an ode to Diane Arbus, Marc Jacobs sent his Sixties styled models in pairs of two down the escalator and runway, matched up in Vuitton’s signature damier print. The silhouettes were streamlined, the hemlines decade-appropriately short and the fit body skimming. The main inspiration of the collection may have been from another era, but Jacobs managed to successfully reincarnate the look for 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Balenciaga, Haider Ackermann, Louis Vuitton, PFW, S/S 13, Stella McCartney

The S/S 13 season was eventful to say the least: Twitter feuds between Hedi Slimane and NY Times fashion critic Cathy Horn, Ready To Wear debuts at the houses of Saint Laurent and Dior, and between it all, some wonderfully accomplished collections.

Twin looks back at which collections made us say je l’adore.

Chanel

Presented in a setting of solar panels and wind farms instead of a crystal landscape, Karl Lagerfeld went a bit more down to earth this S/S 13 season. A-lines, bolero jackets and rounded silhouettes with floral embroidery  in every colour under the sun were topped off with oversized pearl necklaces. Like its staging, the collection was the perfect mix of technological linearity and natural materials and forms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christian Dior

Raf Simons may have already shown us his haute couture offerings for the house of Dior, but nonetheless there was still a great anticipation for what the Belgian designer would bring to the Ready To Wear table. The answer? Expert tailoring mixed with modern femininity. Pleated office attire was given metallic panels, sequined evening gowns a sheer overlay and nude shift dresses an exposed neon lining. With so much love for detail, it’s hard not to give Simons a congratulatory thumbs up for his efforts.

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comme des Garcons

In fabrics of toile and velvet, Rei Kawakubo crushed, sculpted and draped an intriguingly beautiful collection. Save for a flash of royal purple or fire red, the collection kept mostly to CDG signature colours of black and white. While the surrealist-style crowns designed in collaboration with artist Graham Hudson and linear white make-up may have given the models an otherworldly look, there was still something beautifully fragile about the body — and person — in these clothes. As with all things Kawakubo, this collection is definitely worth a second look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Chanel, Christian Dior, Comme des Garçons, Karl Lagerfeld, Raf Simons, Rei Kawakubo, S/S 13, Spring/Summer 2013