Here are the highlights of Thursday's fall-winter Paris Fashion Week shows with reports from Dries Van Note, Issey Miyake, Louis Vuitton and Rick Owens.
RICK OWENS DRIPS, PAINTS AND DRAPES
Fashion's wild child Rick Owens rarely disappoints — and his typically wacky show was all about drips, paint and draping.
White bleeding sections on long navy coats and voluminous jeans evoked paint running down a wall — on models with white-painted faces. One effect resembled bleach that dripped down a brown jumpsuit to produce vivid orange sections.
The silhouettes of the clothes also possessed a downward movement, cleverly achieved via draping — such a gargantuan, furry gray sleeveless top. A wide cut off-white jacket was beautifully draped from the underarms creating a unique, interesting shape.
Hidden among all this creativity was also a series of surprisingly wearable double-breasted
By the finale of the show, Owens was back to his old tricks — with the piece de resistance being a show-stopping huge blue bubble coat draped in an almost Grecian style.
LOUIS VUITTON CHANNELS PARIS
"I was inspired by Paris - old and new," said Kim Jones of his Louis Vuitton fall-winter show.
The result? A collection that was typically stylish but more subdued than we've come to expect from the British designer.
Proceedings began with the dapper suited and coated looks of the Parisian dandy — based on, Jones said, the real-life noble Alexis von Rosenberg, who was born in 1922 and famed across Paris for his styles.
Embellished neck chokers complemented battleship gray trenches, fur coats in blue, burgundy, gray and brown as well as some classy tailored suits in soft donkey brown.
Sophisticated takes on the beret speckled the show and were sometimes worn alongside Art Deco jewelry.
The somewhat muted hues of military attire also defined the aesthetic — with old-fashioned French navy, battleship gray, military browns providing a safe, masculine edge.
A dalliance with patterns provided the more daring looks: large Art Deco graphic shapes
The nicest piece channeled this: a soft white silken jacket with an arty swirling ribbon motif.
ISSEY MIYAKE SUGGESTS A BEACH AND CYCLING SHORTS FOR WINTER
The sky (or shore) was the limit for Issey Miyake, which imported a real sandy beach for their fall-winter show.
But this was no beach for summer sunbathing — the theme was "man in the wilderness" and huge overgrown shrubs littered the sand that covered the four sides of the square catwalk.
It had fashion bloggers snapping away.
The weathered, wildness translated into the clothes as a roughness in the materials — such as some voluminous coats and sweaters in burgundy and turquoise made from horse hair thread and wool.
"Thermographic" photos of horses by photographer Kenji Hirasaw then added a colorful lift to a series of print looks — with a standout jacket with bold horse shoes.
But the insistence on bold color was at times the undoing of the collection. It drowned out some very stylish and saleable suit jackets and bombers that also featured.
A series of psychedelic-colored cycling shorts also grabbed attention — and might not be the best choice for a prudent winter wardrobe.
DRIES VAN NOTEN'S ART NOUVEAU PEACOCK
It was Germany's answer to Art Nouveau — Jugendstil — that dominated "intellectual" Antwerp designer Dries Van Noten's loose-fitting fall-winter show.
The leitmotif in the clothes was the peacock — the animal so revered in this early-20th century artistic movement. The majestic bird's colors, silken sheen — and even its showoff beauty were plucked as inspiration in the 53 looks.
It was one element that unified this rather varied fashion display.
Peacock blue and purple adored a beautiful silken double breasted coat. Elsewhere, in pants navy, orange and purple motifs evoked the swirls in the peacock's plumage.
There were small references to military styles — such as a double breasted donkey brown coat, with military insignia — but the potential for fierceness associated with this kind of dress was done away with Van Noten's thoughtful choice of soft fur neck trimmings.
It's what the program notes characterized as "peacenik."
As ever, there were several moments of flair — such as a uniform coat that was cut at the waist, abstractedly, to produce a blouson jacket on top and an apron-skirt at the bottom.
(AP)
Japanese fashion designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae acknowledges applause after
the presentation of Issey Miyake's men Fall-Winter 2016-2017 fashion
collection, in Paris, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.
Models wear creations as part of Issey Miyake's men Fall-Winter
2016-2017 fashion collection, presented in Paris, Thursday, Jan. 21,
2016.
A model wears a creation by British fashion designer Kim Jones for Louis
Vuitton men's Fall-Winter 2016/2017 fashion collection presented in
Paris, France, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.
Models wear creations by British fashion designer Kim Jones for Louis
Vuitton men's Fall-Winter 2016/2017 fashion collection presented in
Paris, France, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.
Models wear creations by British fashion designer Kim Jones for Louis
Vuitton men's Fall-Winter 2016/2017 fashion collection presented in
Paris, France, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.
A model wears a creation by British fashion designer Kim Jones for Louis
Vuitton men's Fall-Winter 2016/2017 fashion collection presented in
Paris, France, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.