A Marc jacobs creation for Vuitton
© AFP/File Pierre VerdyPARIS (AFP) - Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton wrapped up the hectic, month-long fashion tour which had brought buyers, journalists and other industry professionals to Paris after stints in New York, London and Milan.
"Energy, reason and charm," luxury fashion consultant Jean-Jacques Picart said, summing up the collections unveiled by nearly 100 French and international designers in the French capital.
"Paris was serious," he said, pointing to an overall trend of dark clothes, with lots of black for autumn-winter 2006-07, which he also described as "very wearable" but not without the power to charm.
A model for Chanel
© AFP/File Francois GuillotBlack reigned at Chanel where Karl Lagerfeld went in for layering, teaming wide trousers under a full-skirted dress, or trailing the back of a blouse to the ankle under a belted jacket and over a mini skirt.
While John Galliano's black and red 'gothic chic' for Christian Dior told a different story to Jean Paul Gaultier's soft romance of billowy sleeves in chocolate, rust, midnight blue or bronzey green.
Even Christian Lacroix's rich, intricate embroidery and sophisticated patterns largely fell in line with the darker mood, which also saw Olivier Theyskens kick off his collection at Rochas with sober pant suits.
Cats and dogs, and even an owl made an appearance alongside the models on the Paris catwalks, while British supermodel Kate Moss also emerged -- but only as an image in a hologram.
Masks also seemed to be de rigueur.
A model for Viktor and Rolf
© AFP/File Pierre VerdyDutch design duo Viktor and Rolf covered their models' faces in enlarged fishnet for their collection of untouchable poise, and the cover-up continued with more masks at Hermes.
At Alexander McQueen, a bride appeared in a dream-like vision with tall antlers on her head wrapped in a veil, while the speckled wings of a bird enfolded the face for his graceful creations.
Contrasts also came into play with thick fabrics versus transparency and short hemlines versus oversized silhouettes. Yohji Yamamoto's playful take on proportion saw the excess width deliberately folded up at the waist on baggy trousers.
Skinny trousers were also popular, but so were slouchy sweater dresses.
A Veronique Leroy creation for Leonard
© AFP/File Pierre VerdyBelgian designer Veronique Leroy, who worked on the Leonard collection as well as presenting her own ready-to-wear line here, said fashion had entered a period of transition where personal identity was more freely being expressed, as opposed to 15 years of a more uniform look.
American Andre Leon Talley, of Vogue magazine, said he also sensed slow, subtle change in the air.
"I think there's a slow evolution for a new kind of dressing. I don't know where we're going, I don't know what it is and I cannot define it yet," he said.
Balenciaga and Chanel had created this season's "defining moments", he added.
"Those are the two collections that had the total focus of vision, a return to a kind of a volume in the clothes, a lightness in the clothes and a new way of dressing in layers."
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