PARIS: Fake fur and authentic celebrities got all the attention at Jean Paul Gaultier's fall-winter collection, while Elie's Saab couture reached creative heights by channeling Chinese mysticism during the final day of fall-winter 2019 couture displays.
Amid mysterious clouds of Persian blue mist, Elie Saab fashioned up a standout couture collection Wednesday using the symbolism of China.
The Lebanese designer reimagined traditional Chinese drawings through embroideries with sequins, paillettes and sparkle that depicted fauna and flora; elements, the house said, that represent powerful protective spirits in Eastern legend.
(AFP)
"Nature, through mystical creatures and divine characters, sparked the curiosity of the designer, inspiring him to translate them into his very own art," it added.
Long diaphanous tulle, velvet and chiffon trains brought a magical romance to Saab's bread-and-butter silhouette of sexy, cinched waist gowns. Models with decorated tiaras walked to Asian traditional music.
There was some sophisticated and thoughtful fashion designs amid the show production — for instance, the famed Chinese traditional dress, the Cheongsam, was reimagined in a light tuxedo-style with a provocatively open bust.
(AFP)
SUSTAINABILITY IN FASHION
The fashion industry can be a polluting one, as it puts a myriad of people on airplanes across the world for fashion seasons that promote clothes to be discarded as soon as they become passe.
But there are some moments of ecological reflection.
One initiative at Elie Saab had front row editors impressed.
This season, there were no program notes on the seats, ones which often comprise wads of thick, color-printed photos and detailed texts, and often end up in the trash as soon as the critics have finished their reviews.
In their place Wednesday was a giant — and mysterious — barcode on each invitation.
It provoked bemusement from invitees. Each guest was instructed by Saab's staff to hover their phone camera over the barcode, and then an option automatically appeared to load up the notes electronically to a web browser, saving plenty of trees in the process.
