Rucci, the only American to be invited to show haute couture in Paris under his own name, is a stickler for details, resulting in fine clothes that need to be seen, felt and - probably even better - worn to be fully appreciated. For evening, Rucci's interest in the human body was brought to a handful of artsy prints - prints that would be hard to imagine at a socialite gala. A museum opening party, perhaps? Some designers have toned down the glitz as a nod to the recession. Not Carmen Marc Valvo. Valvo's spring 2010 collection was rooted in gold and shown at a cocktail party inside the NASDAQ building. The designer partnered with the World Gold Council and displayed the line on three separate jumbo-trons in Times Square. Subtle, it was not. But Valvo's philosophy is that in ugly times, people want beautiful clothes. Glittery as it was, Valvo said his inspiration was modern armor for the urban jungle. Indeed, one of the highlights was a black chain-embroidered cocktail dress, a sort of elegant chain mail worn with a black metal organza trench. Boutique owner, collector and custom designer, Alicia Lee, hasn't had much sleep since opening her shop in June of last year. Perched above a nail salon in a hidden alley in Sanlitun dominated by pedestrian traffic, WillowWillow has quickly soared to the top of the city's fashion radar, with Lee's very own haute couture pieces appearing in designer magazines and hanging in the closets of Beijing celebrities.
Donna Karan called her collection a "city garden party". In this urban setting, the florals aren't all pretty and perfect, though. She favors prints for spring that are either a casual doodle or an exploding sequined peony. The show kicked off with a black-and-white scribble-blossom skirt suit that was trim and fitted, one of several professional looks offered in this line that normally caters to a young woman's time off. Karan, though, has been quite vocal in recent months about the tough business climate and has said she's done what she can to adapt - maybe that includes getting almost 24/7 wear out of clothes. Some of the best suits were tailored blazers with shorts and - don't be scared - bright pink bike shorts that she called "Smoothies" underneath. True, not a look for everyone, but with the right attitude and figure, this was a modern twist on an old standby. The skies cleared and it was like Lela Rose made it happen. Her spring collection was upbeat, wearable and, dare we say it, pretty. She drew inspiration from the waves, surfers and scuba divers of Venice Beach, California, with colors borrowed from daybreak and sunset. There were a few pieces, including a green one-shoulder dress with rows of vertical blue laser-cut fabric that mimicked the rolling tide.
But the colors aren't so bright they require sunglasses - designers are aware of the gloomy context, too. Diane von Furstenberg Diane von Furstenberg followed her successful formula of mixing high-fashion concepts with relatable pieces: This spring, the theme is "queen of the desert". "Diane von Furstenberg can do no wrong," says stylist Mary Alice Stephenson. "It's always a perfect mix of what editors want - over the top, gold embellishment -but there's also those little dresses that everyone wants." What will there be a clamor for? Perhaps the green macrame dress or the gold bomber jacket. There's also the tie-waist, draped lavender tiger chiffon dress and her standby wrap dress, this time offered in an orange print. The sunset colors, including burnt yellow, orange and purple, as well as greens and blues, are in line with the dominant palette so far this Fashion Week, and the runway had the requisite not-too-perfect florals. It was time for Derek Lam to have some fun, so he turned to a bit of retro carnival atmosphere. His spring collection was a departure for the designer, who is known for sophisticated and elegant clothes. He went so far in his notes as to describe them as a little "tawdry", borrowing details from summer fun destinations. Tawdry, though, seems to be on a sliding scale: For Lam, there still needs to be luxury - and his customer is that woman who prefers glamour to gimmicks.
It was a far cry from last season's icy Russian-inspired collection, but Marras managed to put a North African twist on the patterned knit sweaters that have become one of the hallmarks of the house - which was founded by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada and is now owned by luxury giant LVMH. Kenzo's runway shows are always a spectacle. Models in the blue, white and brown dresses and metallic jumpsuits - a jumble of scarves and chain necklaces wound round their necks - descended the long, narrow runway, which was strung with long gold strings representing, it became clear, rays of the sun. A massive circle made of gold foil burst into thousands of confetti pieces at the end of the show, as models sporting jumpers made from saturated pastel chiffon, their hair swathed in a rainbow of scarves, marched down the runway. Just watching the show was enough to make you itch for a Saharan getaway. JOHN GALLIANO For his upbeat sartorial remake of "Sunset Boulevard," Galliano recast the movie's tragic heroine - the faded screen siren Norma Desmond - as a tough cookie whose iron will and magpie eye allow her to prevail in the end. Galliano's models were all Norma, played in the film by Gloria Swanson, as she sees herself in the mirror plotting a wardrobe for her return to the red carpet. Her looks are cobbled together from what she's got hanging around - silken nighties, oversized jackets, bits of lace, feathers and oversized diva sunglasses.
Though far less glamorous, this season's look was lots of funky, wearable fun. MIU MIU The look at Miu Miu was like something off a straight-to-DVD movie: "Schoolgirl by day, callgirl by night ..." The show started with long lean pants and matching button-down shirts in navy-and-black silk printed with colored swallows, sleeping cats or Matisse-like naked figures. The shirts' long, downward-facing lapels and elongated bouffant sleeves gave them a swinging sixties feel. That was the schoolgirl part. It got more complicated from there. Designer Miuccia Prada then sent out the same slim looks, but with whole panels sliced out of the midriffs, which reduced the shirt to a sort of bandeau top with long sleeves and a collar. Prada kept on slashing until just the sleeves and collar remained. She attached them to little dresses in nude tulle adorned with swirling feathers in oversized rhinestones and big orange sequins that looked like they belonged on a Vegas showgirl from the 1950s. It was a disconcerting look that stayed true to the slightly kinky, subversive edge that has come to be associated with Miu Miu. It was also among the most original of the Paris collections and a welcome relief from the big-shouldered, asymmetrical dresses, high-waisted shorts and artfully draped cocktail numbers in neutral tones.
But one look at the audience at Dior's spring-summer 2011 haute couture show on Monday at Paris Fashion Week, which concluded yesterday, sufficed to suggest the contrary. Nearly 1,000 guests braved a persistent drizzle and impossibly cramped seats to marvel at - and perhaps, later, invest in - the spectacular, outlandish, impractical and astronomically priced made-to-measure concoctions. That was about twice as many as attended last season's show. Georgio Armani, a red carpet favorite, gave his celebrity fans lots to lust after with a high-sheen collection of futuristic column dresses. On Tuesday, luxury supernova Chanel and cross-town rival Givenchy fielded their collections and haute couture got tugged in opposite directions. Chanel channeled the street - embracing the mixed-up, casual-chic styles of today's trendsetting It Girls - while Givenchy sent out what can only be described as extreme haute couture - breathtaking, Baroque garments that crossed the divide between clothes and art. Karl Lagerfeld layered delicate hand-beaded jackets over skinny jeans and flats. But at Givenchy, the rarified world of couture moved even further from reality with a capsule collection of tulle gowns entirely covered in pearls, sequins, beads, chiffon petals and ostrich feathers. The dresses took up to 4,000 hours of painstaking labor a piece and fetch six-figure prices. French designer Stephane Rolland continued to show why he's become a favorite of princesses worldwide. His collection was made for women whose packed social calendars provide them ample opportunities to work dramatic statement gowns.