Russian Romanticism in Paris: Moncler and Kenzo
Godfrey Deeny
March 11 th, 2009 @ 00:34 AM - Paris
The Russian economy might be collapsing, but its culture is enjoying a moment in the current Paris season, with two impressive collections of Russified chic.
On Tuesday, Moncler unveiled its high-end Gamme Rouge collection, designed by Giambattista Valli, whose inspiration was the recent “Magnificence of the Tsars” exhibition of court dress in London’s V&A Museum. On Wednesday morning at Kenzo, the house’s designer Antonio Marras weaved in everything from Doctor Zhivago to Soviet Constructivism in a conceptual ode to the steppes. And in a season that has rarely seen as much fur on Paris catwalks, many shows contained subtle references to Russia – like lady Cosmonauts in Karl Lagerfeld.
Gamme Rouge unveiled its Tsarist down jackets for fall 2009 in an exceptionally well-staged presentation in the Rotonde de Caves, with actors in Solovetsk Calvary uniforms, a general’s Retreat from Moscow camp-bed with a fox-lined sleeping bag and even two live white horses, almost as surprised to see us, as we fashionistas were to see them. In one dark cave, Valli had projected scenes from “Russian Arc,” the 2002 movie filmed in a single 90-minute Steadicam shot, entirely in the Hermitage.
Valli showed his volume puffer jackets with Cossack high collars in fur, Catherine The Great swirling coats embellished with crystal imperial motifs and a down jacket in gold shaped like a Faberge egg. Giamabattista has always had a good sense of humor, testified to by two very cool boleros, one in gray and white chinchilla, and the other in a highly convincing fabric imitation of real fur.
“Now you see it, now you don’t,” beamed the designer, who celebrated his success with a Caviar Kaspia dinner for 40 pals and late night dancing in the Paris’ club of the moment, Montana, the St Germain haunt that is the latest establishment of uber-cool party instigator Andre Saravia; he of Beatrice Inn fame in New York.
The following morning at Kenzo, designer Marras went east as well; taking his gal for a walk in Tartar style platform boots with fur trim, and rabbit fur parkas worn under some great jacquard Anna Karenina coats.
An invitation in the shape of a matryoshka doll did telegraph the idea, as did the balalaika chords during the show. Great splayed jackets in petrol blue with Hussar’s frogging, fabulous evening coats in color blocking worthy of Rodchenko and mink micro capes over silk dresses in a floral print of mini Central Asia flowers, all looked great.
Marras did cut the silhouette a tad large at times – the dolls influence, we suppose – but his checkered artists’ broken herring bone jackets nipped in with military belts, were a look that was chic, cool and flattering – all at the same time.
Backstage, the largely Russian casting embraced the gentlemanly Marras with fervor rare even for models. They were right to do so – this was a very fine collection.
Wish we could say the same thing about the production. A soundtrack far too loud for a morning show, bizarrely hit and miss lighting – which caused far too many photographers to use flash – and a banal wooden runway added up to a lamentably inept performance by the show producers.
But, what’s a Russian moment without the odd stitch dropped, so we’ll concentrate on remember Antonio’s Slavic symphony.
from http://www.fashionwiredaily.com/first_word/fashion/article.weml?id=2513
Godfrey Deeny
March 11 th, 2009 @ 00:34 AM - Paris
The Russian economy might be collapsing, but its culture is enjoying a moment in the current Paris season, with two impressive collections of Russified chic.
On Tuesday, Moncler unveiled its high-end Gamme Rouge collection, designed by Giambattista Valli, whose inspiration was the recent “Magnificence of the Tsars” exhibition of court dress in London’s V&A Museum. On Wednesday morning at Kenzo, the house’s designer Antonio Marras weaved in everything from Doctor Zhivago to Soviet Constructivism in a conceptual ode to the steppes. And in a season that has rarely seen as much fur on Paris catwalks, many shows contained subtle references to Russia – like lady Cosmonauts in Karl Lagerfeld.
Gamme Rouge unveiled its Tsarist down jackets for fall 2009 in an exceptionally well-staged presentation in the Rotonde de Caves, with actors in Solovetsk Calvary uniforms, a general’s Retreat from Moscow camp-bed with a fox-lined sleeping bag and even two live white horses, almost as surprised to see us, as we fashionistas were to see them. In one dark cave, Valli had projected scenes from “Russian Arc,” the 2002 movie filmed in a single 90-minute Steadicam shot, entirely in the Hermitage.
Valli showed his volume puffer jackets with Cossack high collars in fur, Catherine The Great swirling coats embellished with crystal imperial motifs and a down jacket in gold shaped like a Faberge egg. Giamabattista has always had a good sense of humor, testified to by two very cool boleros, one in gray and white chinchilla, and the other in a highly convincing fabric imitation of real fur.
“Now you see it, now you don’t,” beamed the designer, who celebrated his success with a Caviar Kaspia dinner for 40 pals and late night dancing in the Paris’ club of the moment, Montana, the St Germain haunt that is the latest establishment of uber-cool party instigator Andre Saravia; he of Beatrice Inn fame in New York.
The following morning at Kenzo, designer Marras went east as well; taking his gal for a walk in Tartar style platform boots with fur trim, and rabbit fur parkas worn under some great jacquard Anna Karenina coats.
An invitation in the shape of a matryoshka doll did telegraph the idea, as did the balalaika chords during the show. Great splayed jackets in petrol blue with Hussar’s frogging, fabulous evening coats in color blocking worthy of Rodchenko and mink micro capes over silk dresses in a floral print of mini Central Asia flowers, all looked great.
Marras did cut the silhouette a tad large at times – the dolls influence, we suppose – but his checkered artists’ broken herring bone jackets nipped in with military belts, were a look that was chic, cool and flattering – all at the same time.
Backstage, the largely Russian casting embraced the gentlemanly Marras with fervor rare even for models. They were right to do so – this was a very fine collection.
Wish we could say the same thing about the production. A soundtrack far too loud for a morning show, bizarrely hit and miss lighting – which caused far too many photographers to use flash – and a banal wooden runway added up to a lamentably inept performance by the show producers.
But, what’s a Russian moment without the odd stitch dropped, so we’ll concentrate on remember Antonio’s Slavic symphony.
from http://www.fashionwiredaily.com/first_word/fashion/article.weml?id=2513
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