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Jing Zhang

Spring-summer 2015 fashion weeks came to an end as the curtain fell on the Paris shows, which featured a more relaxed aesthetic with plenty of loose and languid looks, while sportswear continued to keep designers in its grip.
Eye-popping graphics played devil's advocate to more organic, natural shapes and patterns, while we witnessed the end of an era as French fashion veteran Jean Paul Gaultier hosted his final ready-to-wear collection, to the dismay of fans worldwide. Here are some of the key trends:

BOLD GRAPHICS
The season in Paris kicked off with a bold take on graphic patterns.
Anthony Vaccarello, Cédric Charlier and Jacquemus opted for chunky stripes in sometimes eye-popping colours that were declined on bias and asymmetric cut numbers; Balmain, Roland Mouret and Carven took the safer path of classic tailoring enhanced by colourful geometric patterns, while keeping a highly feminine silhouette through various elegant cocktail numbers and business-inspired attire.
Vaccarello, Charlier and Jacquemus were the most playful designers so far - especially Jacquemus, whose collections always come with a bubbly, innocent feeling - emphasising their sexy, bias-cut outfits with stark linear patterns and striped patchworks and fabrics.
Kenzo followed suit with abstract prints in large watercolour pink and blue pastels that recalled the 1970s.

EASY BREEZY
Relaxed fits reigned on many runways.
Chloé, whose founder Gaby Avignon died only two days before the show, dedicated the graceful, feminine collection to her. The range's ethereal, feather-light sheers hung loose, micro-pleated and languid on the body in ivory, pale mints, aqua and mustard; they had a '70s twist, were beautifully executed and are sure to be summer favourites.
The relaxed look was done with a nod to nature at Dries Van Noten and Damir Doma. That said, the overall silhouette is still structured and tailored - conveying a casual vibe, without going oversized. The nature-inspired mise-en-scène was a key element for both.
Both designers created a soothing atmosphere (Doma's soundtrack had the sound of waves and a medley from The Beatles) and were carried off at a slow pace. The collections were also down-to-earth in terms of design: Doma opted for tailoring with activewear-inspired fits and embellishments, next to comfy and summery silhouettes; Van Noten excelled at a mix-and-match of vibrant and sensual prints and patterns.
The silhouettes were also loose at Kenzo, where longer skirts and relaxed, wide-leg jumpsuits made for a chilled out vibe in the confines of the Paris skatepark where the brand held its show.
Although the 18th-century French court was a point of departure for the Christian Dior collection, designer Raf Simons mixed in "uniforms of pilots and astronauts, even schoolgirls and skaters". The result was long-line Edwardian-inspired coats, lots of loose, pure-white blouses and high-neck smock dresses that barely skimmed the body.

THE CLASSIC TWIST
While some designers opted for vibrant colours and graphics, mingled with asymmetric shapes, others capitalised on classicism for the grown-up girl.
Phoebe Philo at Céline opened her show with gorgeous, fluid black dresses given movement and edge with long vibrant fringing at the hem. The soft wide-leg pants, elegant tops that came with thick strips of fabric floating off the body and structured jackets with big formal buttons will please her most ardent fans.
Christophe Lemaire, Alessandro Dell'Acqua's debut collection for Rochas, and Alber Elbaz's for Lanvin stuck to a sober colour palette and unpretentious, impeccable cuts. At times the mood was somewhere between a feeling of nostalgia and a will to transgress the usual tailoring codes.
Dell'Acqua's collection of silk and lace dresses felt airy and sensual, while keeping a Gothic-inspired edge. Lemaire once again highlighted his love for timeless and comfortable ready-to-wear, showcasing occasional asymmetries to spice things up.
Even the usually outrageous Gaultier, who will close his ready-to-wear line after this spring-summer 2015 season, offered plenty of beautifully tailored tuxedo-inspired outfits in black and white, sometimes with an elegant cape or asymmetric quality.
Elbaz proposed a tame Lanvin woman this season for the brand's 125th anniversary, opting for unadorned fluid dresses and softly tailored outerwear. Another common guiding thread of the designer's collection was predominant below-the-knee length.

SPORTY STYLES HERE TO STAY 
Activewear is still scoring high this season, with notable outfits such as hooded track-trenches, boxing dresses, pop-over dresses, bomber jackets and cool, aerodynamic pieces.
Yet designers kept the sporty touch mainly through subtle detailing, fabrics and fits. Viktor & Rolf did a lovely play of proportions this season as Olivia Newton-John's Physical blasted from the speakers. Little cotton tank tops and striped trousers were athletic. Foil-wrapper prints on stiff, circle skirts seemed odd and cycling shorts unflattering, but we loved those white outfits with fabric gathered for asymmetric, sculptural shape.
Alexander Wang kept only the very essence of activewear at a younger-looking Balenciaga with figure-hugging silhouettes and standout maxi-fishnet dresses. Gaultier took the theme literally, with a fun-filled section in his collection inspired by Tour de France cyclists, and another on masked Mexican wrestlers.
Designers such as Alexis Mabille and Manish Arora expressed a blunt yet chic take on sports, with sweatshirts and cycling shorts (again!) in psychedelic colours; we're not convinced by this cycling shorts trend. While it ties the sports theme together, most looked too gimmicky to be appealing.

NATURAL ATTRACTION
The natural world offered plenty of inspiration, in stark contrast to all the strict technicality taking over much of fashion. Van Noten had his models sitting like nymphs on a mock moss carpet in what audiences called one of the most poetic moments of fashion weeks so far. Inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream, patchwork patterns in rich jewel tones gave us a bewitching taste of bohemia. With the industry making such a fuss of fast fashion, Van Noten's so-called "slow fashion" is like a cool drink of water on a hot day. The theme was taken rather too literally at John Galliano, where designer Bill Gaytten sent out a green and earthy palette for maxi and mini dresses adorned with 3D leaf sequins embellishments and wooden-panel print collars. Florals for the coming spring came in two very different variations: as ornamental-heritage or young and ironic, with '90s cartoon references.
Simons favoured the former - using sparse little floral prints on big Dior skirts; those at Maison Martin Margiela were inspired by silky Japanese archive florals on beautiful ornamental panels. The other variant, of '90s pop styles, featured at Viktor & Rolf, and on Céline's mini florals and Margiela's daisy prints paired with second-skin nudes.
 


Key spring-summer 2015 looks from Paris

Leisurely, languid looks filled the runways at fashion week