Paris Fashion Week showcases Renaissance, 1970s punk scene

Designers took the fashion crowd time-travelling, from a Renaissance hunting party to the 1970s punk scene via antique kimonos, at Paris’ ready-to-wear shows last Wednesday.

Darling of the fashionista pack, the Belgian Dries Van Noten, crafted a trademark blend of feminine and masculine for autumn-winter as he paired Asian-inspired fluid silks with military blazers, slim coats and tapered pants.

Van Noten took antique Japanese and Korean clothes photographed at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum as his starting point, but digitally reworked the images to create original motifs in riotous tangerine or turquoise.

Bright patterns were hemmed in between panels of demure navy, military green, or black, on long-sleeved blouses, high-necked fine pleated dresses or coats.

Ethereal numbers like a flowing ankle-length dress with golden embroidery at its ruff neck and shoulders, alternated with more self-contained looks like a military blazer over apron and cigarette pants, all in black.

Lacquered tortoise-shell on shoe heels, tips and tongues added a retro feel, but the show’s soundtrack was closer to capturing the essence of the collection.

With statuesque figures in romantic ruff necks, cloaked in smooth suede and leather, the 30-year-old Damir Doma made an impression as he whisked Paris back to the Renaissance – also with an eastern twist.

In black, rust, camel or dusty pink, Doma’s Elizabethan-inspired creations paired delicate hand-pleated collars and billowing silks, with manly tailoring in the cut of pants and jackets.

Suede desert pants and ample skirts, laced together with wide stitches, were tucked into soft, Robin Hood boots or paired with pointed slippers, under ample, cape-style jackets.

Fur jackets overlaid with breastplates alternated with kimono-style coats for a look part Samurai, part Renaissance hunting party.

Leather in all its glory was the backbone of the punchy, sensual look from Portugal’s Felipe Oliveira Baptista – also a designer for Lacoste – whether on a second-skin sheath dress, or a buttery wraparound coat.

Even the glossy plastic-looking fabric that cropped up on the skirt of wool coats, in graphic panels on short skirts and dresses, or on shoulder-high gloves ­– was in fact varnished leather, backed with jersey.

Stretchy-looking second-skin numbers had punky zebra stripes in black or red running down from the neckline, above pointy-tipped leather platform boots, intended as “part cyberpunk boot, part cowboy boot.”

Later at the French house Rochas, designer Marco Zannini also drew on the 1970s to wrap his models head to toe in autumnal colour and prints – right down to their opaque tights in patterned red or gold.

There was barely a white or black in sight as Zannini worked through a retro palette from mustard to rust and aquamarine, matching demure ribbed sweaters or brocade tunics with pleated A-line skirts or flared pants, hair in wispy ponytails and outsized shades.