Patou: Say it with roses

 
“A rose is a rose is a rose,” wrote Gertrude Stein, though she did not have in mind the House of Patou, where designer Guillaume Henri used the rose as a wellspring for a powerful expression of hipster romanticism in fashion.
 
Stein lived and wrote in St Germain, just around the corner from this show, staged in the courtyard of the National Institute for the Deaf. Gertrude’s dictum is generally regarded as an expression of the idea that seems are what they seem. But in Henri’s imagination a rose expresses a certain nonchalance coupled with Parisian chic.

All told, the collection was Henry’s best for Patou, after six years at the house, one of the smallest in the giant luxury empire of LVMH. Where his earliest collections were overburdened with ginormous white shirts and smocks, this time he reined in the silhouette. The result was sexier and more with it.
 
Entente cordiale in the courtyard, as Lady Jean Violet Campbell opened the show strongly in a sleeveless tunic dress with military strap shoulders. Beginning a fine series of tailoring – safari jackets, some cut as cocktails; taut Eisenhowers or shirt jackets – that were all very jaunty.
 
Crisp mannish shirts made in summer cocktails or paired with minis, finished with huge matching belts, were spruce and stylish. 
 
“I called this collection Rose, so I wanted something very elegant, but also quite simple,” explained Henri post-show.
 
Everything accessorized with golden locket earrings, necklaces and bracelets. The cast – clearly enjoying the clothes – strutting by to a concerto by Francis Lai. The sort they play in French movies, when lovers wander along the Seine at nightfall.
 
Testifying to Guillaume’s growing self-assurance, his front row of Katie Holmes, Stefanie Powers, Maya Rudolph, Jeanne Damas and assorted It Gals all looked pretty great in Patou.
 
Technically speaking this was a ready-to-wear show rounding out the four-day Paris couture season. Except it climaxed at the finale with a quartet of enveloping and dimpled satin couture gowns.
 
“The idea was rose for 40 silhouettes. But I wanted the final four to be roses,” concluded Henri.
 
A rose by any other name, in short.
 

Ashi Studio: Darkness at noon

The final morning of the couture season began with a show by Saudi star Ashi Studio, staged in the courtyard of the Musée de la Monnaie, a beautiful palace on the banks of the Seine.
 
But instead of neo classical architecture and cobble stones, guests entered a black box with a black sand runway, blackened desert shrubs and a midnight sky.
 
The first Saudi couturier to be accepted in the official list of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, Ashi is already a fashion star. Able to attract a diverse bag of bold face names: Michelle Williams, Carine Roitfeld and master actor Tom Hollander, who turned up in a superb Napoleonic pale gray great coat. A first step into menswear by Ashi, and a very convincing one.
 
Ashi entitled this fall/winter 2024/25 collection Sculpted Clouds, a dark dreamy vision of haute couture.
 
Many looks hyper sculpted: from eagle at rest black velvet cocoon cocktails or sheer and sparkling gauze columns, whose shoulders were bedecked in fabric balls. Or an ecru jacquard cocoon opera coat with giant sleeves of which Cristobal Balenciaga would have been proud. Best of all a black velvet and silk shantung cocoon cocktail that cried out for an Oscar winner.

While one black lace look seemed like it had sprouted naturally, blooming off a black model to reveal from behind bloomers and extraordinarily long legs.
 
Ashi likes to reference the raw terrain and desert flowers of his native land, doing so with panache with a beautiful shaggy ecru wrap wool coat, jangling with glass beads. All backed up by a dramatic soundtrack – Frates by The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic that was dark and very mordant.
 
“At the creative onset, feelings appeared like flashes to me – courage and determination,” explained the couturier. 
 
Ashi certainly has plenty of design chops, at times too many. And could perhaps develop a better sense of self-editing. One pink bird of paradise look made of dyed horsehair attached to layers of rimmed gauze certainly caught one’s attention, but it was hard to imagine where exactly one would wear the look.
 
Fortunately, Ashi is far more than an image maker. And those who want their couture to be grand, attention seeking and bold will love this collection.
 

Peet Dullaert: Needs reining in

See catwalk

A lack of self-editing is a criticism one can also level against Peet Dullaert, a Dutch couturier recently accepted onto the official calendar.
 
This season he presented his ideas inside the Hotel Evreux beside the Ritz Hotel in Place Vendôme. He seemed happily overwhelmed by the quantity of editors, guests and fans that showed up. With scores of people standing inside the grand epoque salons, Peet sent out a rich selection of eveningwear for multiple occasions.
 
Like the opening sleeveless tuxedo dress cut with wide lapels and peak shoulders; or a second tuxedo dress, this time in silk bouclé. Both pinned with crystal baubles. More tuxe dresses followed before a sudden change of gears and one witnessed a Christ like figure in a giant beige smock. His barefoot tattooed with the phrase – Paris Peet Dullaert. Quite what was the point?

Beside the natty tuxes, Peet’s best ideas were the boldly rouched black faille dresses; which the models clearly enjoyed wearing. Before things got way out of hand, and looks began to drown in askew straps, golden metallic embellishment and faintly absurd transparent ribbons. 
 
There is a couturier in there trying to escape this burst of over enthusiasm. Perhaps one day he shall escape.