NEW DESIGNER WEAVES MAGIC AT REVIVED SCHIAPARELLI WITH NODS TO THE PAST
ITALIAN fashion designer Bertrand Guyon unveiled his debut collection for revived fashion house Schiaparelli in Paris today.
On the second day of the city’s haute couture showcase, Guyon showed a collection in which he sought to blend the essence of cosmopolitan life into a collection intended for today’s women.
Guyon, who stepped into the role of design director in April, is also tasked with respectfully reviving the memory of Elsa Schiaparelli, who founded her eponymous label in 1930.
Riffing on the house’s tried and tested codes, the designer unveiled strapless gowns printed with sketches from the Thirties and Forties. Some were penned by Schiaparelli herself, while others came from friends and influencers of the period.
Guyon also chose to inject this collection with a dose of the great fashion dame’s favourite shade of shocking pink — notably through the inclusion of one flowing chiffon gown which closed the show.
Taking the idea of the city, Guyon set out to create super luxe clothes which fused the chic culture of Paris with a hint of London’s fantasy and extravagance. This was achieved through blouson sleeve shirts and capes in heavy suit plaid, while beaded trouser suits evoked the vertical landscape of New York. Guyon’s debut was a carefully poised one through which he gently attempted to place his own signature on the house, revived only two years ago.
The showcase began last night, with a collection from Donatella Versace that also looked to the past — seeking to repackage the Sixties’ flower power aesthetic for the 21st century’s super rich. The designer unveiled bell-sleeved raw-edge chiffon dresses embroidered with delicate floral motifs and gowns secured by silk floral garlands.
Models included Karlie Kloss, Kendall Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.