Daily Front Row

2012 March 5

Paris Fall 2012: Givenchy, Hermes, Céline

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Givenchy Fall 2012
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(PARIS) Givenchy 
To the sounds of galloping horses, Riccardo Tisci endowed his signature leather-and-lace motifs with a horsey theme, but there was no tweed in sight. In fact, the tautly-tailored jackets and skirts (in decidedly non-polo-esque shades of crimson, tangerine, and a bit of sapphire) were reminiscent of a Madonna/Steven Klein collaboration. Tisci did just handle her Superbowl fare, if you'll recall. Micropleated leather skirts, strong-armed kimono sleeved jackets, lace-appliquéd lingerie looks, shrunken capelets—such are Tisci's contributions to the races.

Hermes
Christophe Lemaire's Fall collection addressed the dueling forces at play in the Hermes customer—the unabashed, yet understated, belief in luxury, and the wanderlust of a world traveler seeking out her own private bohemia. She may pass on the tiebars, but she'll go bananas for the trippy sixties printed tunics and calf-length leather skirt in chocolate brown. From noir trenches (ideal for the first-class lounge at Roissy) to blanket coats (wandering around Marrakesh) to leather suits (for public offering announcements, etc), all her whims are covered. 

Céline
A Mondrian moment for Phoebe Philo, rife with colorblocking, clutches, and structured, voluminous coats. It's the outerwear that Philo pursued as Fall 2012's seasonal statement, and the dyed mink were especially spectacular. Fuschia, perhaps, with a half-belt in leather in back? How about a dusty rose menswear style in a nubby wool? Or perhaps another mink of panels in red, navy, white? There was nary a skirt in sight, and in several cases, the pants were sportified with side stripes and zippers running up the front seams. And then, those clutches—a new offering in Philo's stable of universal best-sellers.