In a 360-degree turn from the Aganovich and Glenn Marten collections from my last two posts, Paco Rabanne is all about sexy, slinky, and sizzle. There was lots of skin and legs showing in this dazzling show at the Grand Palais.
The eponymous brand that was the rage of the swinging 60s and 70s with its chain mail link mini-dresses, Paco Rabanne is still taking its cue from that era. Updating it to be relevant for the woman of today without being too retro can be a tricky thing and the designer Mannish Arora for Paco Rabanne succeeds. This was a strong show with pulsating, techno music setting the theme. Although the cut of the dresses and coats was razor sharp, there was a slight softness to them and the models moved comfortably. Even the metal dresses and pieces had a flow to them and seemed lighter. To capture the essence of the brand, Arora went through the Paco Rabanne archives and used a image of French singer Francois Hardy from the 1970s to inspire him. White, black, gray, and metallic were the predominant colors but a flash of cobalt blue in some of the pieces midway in the show was a welcome refresher. Hemlines were mostly above the knee and the see through woven metal hems on the metal dresses gave them an added dash of sexiness without being too revealing.
The few cocktail dresses with the monkey hair adorning hems and necks were garish and the only pieces that didn't work well in this otherwise cohesive, almost flawless show.
I was not able to get that many good photos from the show so please click link below to see clearer photos of the entire collection.
http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2012/fall/main/europe/womenrunway/pacorabanne/#slide21&ss1
In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New York's best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!
Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris. www.eyepreferparistours.com
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
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Great photos and description, Richard. As always. Thank you for sharing this story.
Francisca Mattéoli
www.franciscamatteoli.com/blog/
Posted by: Francisca Mattéoli | March 10, 2012 at 11:43 PM