french bred STANDOUT shows at last week's autumn/winter '99 collections in Paris included Yves Saint Laurent, where there was a major fuss over the debut of designer Alber Elbaz, formerly of Guy Laroche, who has taken over Saint Laurent's ready-to-wear line. Elbaz did a neat job of updating Saint Laurent's iconic classics: the smoking jacket evolved into a sharp-shouldered jumpsuit, and Saint Laurent's love of colour was interpreted as a sleek red leather coat, a fuchsia satin skirt, a vermilion sweater and pale pink patent pumps. Fab. Joyce Ma and daughter Adrienne sat in the front row (opposite Catherine Deneuve); the retailer is looking at adding the collection to her repertoire.
Le beau monde LOVED Marc Jacobs' collection for Louis Vuitton (apparently the spring collection is being snapped up in Hong Kong before you can say 'monogram'). There were plush skirts wrapped around the body like security blankets and jazzy travel bags in bright purple, lime and red. It was all a bit rich-backpacker, but you just know this stuff will sell.
Afterwards, I nipped backstage and watched Jacobs do his spiel for the cameras - about reconciling his design aesthetic with creating items for Vuitton customers, who want people to know they're wearing the label. 'My God,' he said, when asked by a Japanese television reporter what the collection was about. 'How many times do people want to hear this s**t?' Hermes was one of the biggest hits of the week. One London fashion editor gushed about how she wanted to 'wrap herself up in all that money'. And you would need a lot of it to buy the wrap-over blanket coats made from pure cashmere and creamy leather overcoats padded with down.
There were some surprises: John Galliano at Christian Dior sent out a collection that looked like it wasn't created on speed - very commercial, very wearable. Others were more predictable: Stella McCartney at Chloe continued the rock-chick thing with tight denim jeans featuring a tiger-head patch on a back pocket and fitted, see-through dresses. Bring out your Monica Lewinsky G-strings. Her show was a celeb-fest, with daddy, Paul, in the front row, opposite surprise guest Camilla Parker-Bowles. Mick Hucknall of Simply Red was also there, as was the ultimate rock chick, Patsy Kensit.
Loewe went New Age, with designer Narciso Rodriguez embellishing his evening gowns with shards of semi-precious stones - peridot, amethyst, rose quartz - designed to endow the wearer with various powers. After the show, guests pounced on the stones that had tumbled from the gowns onto the catwalk. A gorgeous, well-received collection ... just don't ask the prices.
But the award for most energetic collection goes to Michael Kors at Celine. He sent out irresistible padded satin-nylon coats, skirts made of flat feathers in shades of pearl and white, and fur slippers. How much of a diva do you need to be to buy those? summer tips THE collections were possibly just as useful for checking out the spring/summer trends, as worn by the audience of fashion editors, stylists, consultants, buyers and merchandisers.