Westwood, Gaultier, Viktor & Rolf play on style
Models wearing Vivienne Westwood dresses participated in catwalk at the Paris fashion week.
PARIS (AP) - It s going to be a black and white Christmas this winter, judging by the lack of color on the Paris catwalk Saturday.
Fall-winter 2013-14 shows saw several houses chose a more muted color palette among them Viktor & Rolf, Comme des Garcons, Jean Paul Gaultier as well as Madrid-based Loewe.
Belgian designer Veronique Leroy, who also used black, added to the one of the other stories of the season: large rounded shoulders in what was an inventive, off-kilter show which will add to her reputation as a skillful surrealist.
Predictably, the British master of unorthodoxy Vivienne Westwood bucked the trend with panache, in a display of tailored pointed shoulders.
One of the highlights of Paris s fifth day of collections, Westwood s show was an inventive tour de force, inspired by the rich fabrics and draped silks brought to Europe by the medieval crusaders.
Medieval references were interpreted with signature zest in Saturday s show, in flowing feminine silk silhouettes. Sublime silk-wool jacquards with medieval images of birds, flowers and strawberries mixed with capes and puffed Juliette sleeves.
"I have a book of reproduced medieval illuminated manuscripts," explained Westwood backstage, provoking smiles from some journalists.
Patterns such as rings, polka dots, interrupted lines and squares were aimed to evoke the decorative patterns on the handmade manuscript borders.
But perennial eccentric Westwood, who turns 72 next month, loves mixing up her eras. Here the anachronism saw some great contrasting modern, even futurist, suits with tiny waists and provocative peaked shoulders. Some of the shows best looks combined both time periods: like one voluminous white knee length skirt with medieval motifs in ultramarine blue and rose pink.
Without sacrificing any of her usual flamboyance, Westwood has achieved the feat of producing a supremely wearable collection.
