Vuitton, Moncler, van Herpen provide closing line-up at Paris Fashion Week
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E-mail CNTV, March 11, 2016
Paris Fashion Week lowered its curtains on Wednesday with French fashion powerhouse, Louis Vuitton, putting on a stunning closing runway show.
The final line-up also included Moncler Gamme Rouge, bringing the Alps to Paris with snow on catwalk; and Iris van Herpen, with a futuristic perspective.
Inside the Gehry-designed Vuitton Fondation on the outskirts of Paris, guests were transported into a dark, futuristic world that resembled Superman's Fortress of Solitude.
On the catwalk, Vuitton's creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere mixed vibrant crimson reds with navy blues and whites.
The opening look set the tone - slim, red leather trousers with a black leather trench, cinched at the waist with golden buttons.
A key piece of the collection: a long, silk dress, grounded by heavy, black-leather lace-up boots, conjuring the image of a strong woman.
"They have so many, like, fantastical details: the color and then the accessories. I mean, I loved the red dark lips, you know? They're very strong," said Liu Wen, supermodel.
Moncler brings Swiss Alps to Paris
Meanwhile, Moncler Gamme Rouge invited guests on an instant getaway to the label's alpine origins, with artificial snow powdering the catwalk, while small clouds passed above mountain tops on a giant video backdrop.
With hair pulled into tight braids and platform wooden shoes, models looked like grown-up sophisticated Heidis, sporting chic updates of traditional Swiss costumes.
Following a few black dresses with delicate embroidery of edelweiss - the national flower of Switzerland - the collection mostly featured white pieces with red accents, matching the colors of the Swiss flag.
Iris Van Herpen plays with perception
And instead of a regular catwalk show, Dutch designer Iris van Herpen placed models behind large distorting screens inviting guests to experience an ever-changing reality.
She used special screens to mimic the poor image quality of old-school television sets.
"They are used inside television screens, and they bend the light so they bend your perception of what you're seeing. Depending on the movement of the girl, and her distance, your perception changes constantly," Iris said.
"And I think it's really interesting the way we see things and how easily you can tweak that. So the films actually inspired me for a lot of the materials in the collection. A lot of the materials sort of play with your perception as well."
As guests approached and moved around the screen, the model standing behind it appeared distorted. At a particular angle, two separated but blending images of the same girl could be seen at once.
The technology-forward van Herpen is a big fan of 3D printing and likes to combine intricate designs with soft textures such as wool and silk, bringing an organic feel to her collection.
"There is traditional knit things in it, with silk and wool. There is a plissé that we've been doing in both directions, creating a really organic soft fabric. We've been 3D printing tulux, making use of the newest technology within 3D printing, which became really flexible like a lace," Iris said.
Other looks, aptly dubbed 'phantom', fused iridescent stripes to create a shimmering ghostly silhouette.
Adding to the sense of awe, models perched on ice-skate-like heeled 'Aero' shoes as they played with their holographic reflections.
