louis vuitton

Two interesting bits of news arrived from Tokyo. The first comes from Tiffany Godoy, an American journalist in Tokyo whom I first met several years ago when I was in Japan working on a profile of Karl Lagerfeld. The author of “Style Deficit Disorder: Tokyo Street Fashion,” Godoy knows a lot about the heart and soul—and history—of genres broadly connected with Harajuku. She and the writer Ivan Vartanian have a new book, “Japanese Goth,” due out in May (Universe: $27.50), which looks at the strange aesthetic blend of rococo and heavy metal. I laughed when she said in her email that Goth Lolitas will be drooling over Marc Jacobs’ ruffles at Vuitton.

Japanese Goth by Tiffany Godoy and Ivan Vartanian, Universe, 2009.Another image from “Japanese Goth.”

In fact, after writing about the collections in tomorrow’s paper, I’m curious to see how the French-influenced fashion will connect with consumers. Retailers sounded cautious. As Linda Dresner, who remembers when the look was called “Plaza Athenee dressing,” said, “I think a young girl—if she can afford it—might fall in love with it. They’re used to showing their bodies. If they feel flirty in it, then I think we might be able to convince them.” Another point that came up during my interviews with retailers and editors was how many clothes for fall have long sleeves and high necklines. I like seeing long sleeves for a change. But Ron Frasch, the vice chairman of Saks, raised a doubt about the more covered-up look. “I don’t know if women are going to go that way,” he said.

The other piece of news from Tokyo was the announcement by Uniqlo that Jil Sander will be working with the brand, designing men’s and women’s clothes—the first looks this fall. In a statement, Sander said Uniqlo’s offer surprised her and that she visited its studio in Tokyo several times.

Here’s a little of what she said: “We are living in a small world today. People are in easy contact with each other. There is a new collective feeling of democracy. You can sense it everywhere. It is a wonderful challenge to dress this new world as attractively as possible. I am thinking of clothes that are comfortable for everyone, beautiful and not expensive. I am convinced that there can be luxury in simplicity. One glass of water doesn’t equal another. One may just appease the thirst, the other you may enjoy thoroughly. In Japan, people know about this difference. Details are everything here. The challenge for me is to establish premium quality in a democratically priced brand: Quality for everyone.”

Thanks, E Frantz, for helping to explain Alaia’s position in the fashion world. He has a huge history behind him (and literally in his private archives) but his mind is always focused on today. And, as you point out, he’s not secretive. Far from it. Any journalist can visit him and many do. It’s just that he has different views now about presenting his collections. Thanks, RC, for the list—loved the mentioned of Portland. And to Alex A: I think lots of reporters try to visit showrooms during the collections, but it’s tough to wedge in the time between shows and writing. And, of course, eating…

Valerio Mezzanotti for The New York TimesA belted coat from the Dries Van Noten fall 2009 collection.

Finally, I want to share something I received yesterday from the stylist Alex White of W. I’d asked her to tell me what inspired her about the collections. Well, I loved her insight and enthusiasm. Here’s a snippet from her email: “I am going to start off this season with a collections story. Resisting the restyling and sometimes fantasy story to really illustrate what ended up being a lot of great, wearable clothes…I agree about the tailored, modern clothes—I was tempted by the clothes that are fitted and structured, using classic fabrics with a new treatment, like at Prada and Lanvin.” She noted the outdoors element at Prada, Burberry and Comme des Garçons: “I thought of Bruce Weber and spending a wonderful week shooting in the English countryside.” And Dries Van Noten made Alex think of the photographs of Louise Dahl-Wolfe. It’s always interesting what other people see and understand in clothes.replica handbags

A sense of utility pervades the Paris fall men’s collections. At Louis Vuitton, models toted LV cases on standard-looking luggage carriers, their suits liquid and soft for movement and in shapes of ink, petrol and brown. This morning, Junya Watanabe’s patchwork jackets and jeans evoked hunting gear. I’m always a sucker for the clothing at Farmer’s Supply, wondering what I could do with a snap-front brown cotton jacket or an orange utility vest. Now I know. Watanabe has deconstructed the outdoor elements in a charming way: with reversible pinstriped suit jackets patched in red checks and corduroy, jeans and cropped khakis with patches, and coats with the illusion of a second vested layer. Dries Van Noten’s collection, held last night at the Communist party headquarters, was a bit too frugal even for these times: too many one-color outfits and belted coats with an automaton cast. Yojhi’s men looked sweetly frumpy — and drowsy — in pajamas and hooded bathrobe coats.Louis Vuitton

Several days ago, many moons ago, Kim—our Kim of the blog—made the comment that, despite all the videos and other coverage, she wasn’t entirely seeing what those of us in Paris were seeing. I thought that was an interesting observation, if I’ve conveyed it correctly, and it has stayed on my mind. I can only say that a lot of us in Paris had trouble seeing things clearly, too. (I am back at home now.) It’s hard to find a sense of clarity and rhythm in the constant bombardment of images, opinion, wrong information, displays of poor management (I refer to the way Facchinetti was dismissed from Valentino, though not the decision ultimately to change designers), and the gloom supplied at once by the economic crisis and the expensive orgy of the shows. Of course designers have to go on designing—that’s what they do. But the excellence has to be on all levels right now, from the integrity and muscle of the design to an evident awareness of what is happening in the global marketplace. We all have our favorite collections—for me, Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, Dries Van Noten, elements of Chanel—and I suppose what makes them standout is that they are able to cut through the noise and show us something that genuinely feels new or interesting and useful.

Alaia collection. (Jean-Luce Huré for The New York Times)

The last couple of days have been hectic, and then the flight home. But the time was all well-spent and funny. There was the ceremony on Sunday night for Bill Cunningham, who received an Officer of Arts and Letters from the French government, and before that the Miu Miu show, with pleated dresses in satin, classical Roman prints and burlap (I do love a burlap dress!). There was the scene backstage at Louis Vuitton before the show, as everyone waited for Bernard Arnault, the boss man, to arrive. And yesterday I dropped by Azzedine Alaia’s to have a look at a few things he’s making for spring. Then it was sayonara and the airport.

When I got to the Vuitton show, which was expected to start at 2:30 p.m. sharp, I was surprised when Robert Duffy said, “Come on backstage.” It was 2:25 p.m. Arnault was running a few minutes late and I think Jacobs, aside from being very happy with the collection, was proud of the fact that he was on time. The models were all lined up, in their outfits, behind a rope, and Pat McGrath and her crew were giving them a final dusting. It was a great scene: 50-some models, in their poodle hairdos, glossy burgundy lips, and big sculptural hoop earrings, all decked out in their Parisian duds. “I love Paris,” Jacobs kept saying, adding that he had brought a music player to the office and had been listening and singing along to show tunes. (Edith Piaf was on the soundtrack.) Duffy mentioned the models’ point d’esprit and LV monogrammed underpants, and some of the girls turned around and flipped their skirts. Nothing fazes them. I liked the visual sense that Jacobs gave, the mix of colors and textures like green ostrich feathers and lavender metallics, and the number of great pieces in the Parisian montage, like the snippy jackets, the squashy leopard bags, and an obi-tied khaki cotton shirt dress.

Alaia collection. (Jean-Luce Huré for The New York Times)

There have been a number of African influences around, so I laughed when I saw Alaia’s raffia platforms (in brown, black or mottled gold) with huge sprouts of raffia fringe at the ankles. He really goes for it, doesn’t he? He also has stiletto sandals with straps of python climbing up the ankles and jangling with tiny bells. Among the looks he showed me were skirts and fitted tops in brown python, the waistbands little more than a cord from which the snakeskin was seemingly suspended. He also draped python for a claret red dress with a full skirt and half-open back. There was a semi-transparent black raffia skirt, and one of my favorite looks—very Alaia—was a slim black dress in a ribbed knit over which he had put a cropped, school-girlish white cotton blouse. The long-sleeved shirt was smooth in the front and then gathered across the back and around the hem, so it belled slightly away from the dark dress. Later, in his studio he showed me some dresses he was still working on. The Japanese fabric, a silk mousseline printed or embroidered with open rings the size of a quarter, felt like nothing in your hands.Balenciaga bag

You touched it, yet you weren’t sure you had touched anything at all.

At this stage of my absence from the blog, I think I should offer only a wildly good story, like I went to Holland to get a pair of custom-made clogs, where I promptly met a man called Fortunato Mannix who promised to give me rubies if I…

Oh, you don’t expect me to tell you the whole story, do you? It would spoil everything. But: apologies to all for being away so long. It was necessary, that’s all I’m at liberty to say. And I will get back to the comments on the last post, which I see have exploded like kudzu. (Marko & friends abroad, that’s a creeping weed common to the American south, not a dress frill or a conservative politician.)

Speaking of politicians, I was sitting last night at the YSL men’s presentation next to the British actor Simon Woods (from the bonnet drama “Pride and Prejudice”) when he said his next stop was Hillary Clinton’s campaign trail, in Nevada or South Carolina. That was a lot more interesting than Fortunato Mannix. Apparently, Woods campaigned for Clinton in Iowa, too. I know actors get involved in American political campaigns, but a British actor? Didn’t he have a top hat to put on?

A look from the YSL presentation. (courtesy of YSL)

“I think she’s the combination of strength and experience and integrity,” he said.

Woods appeared in a triptych video that YSL designer Stefano Pilati did in lieu of a runway show, and which you can catch on Monday on the YSL site, YouTube, and Showstudio, among others. The film was effective, particularly in capturing the rich, crystal-like colors and the contemporary attitude. I liked the clothes: those ruddy tweed coats with soft cotton henleys; the tie-dyed velvet blazers (think crushed velvet) with wide, old-school English-y tweed trousers; the stiff jackets and biker jackets in a new Japanese rain-repellant felt; the fuzzy-curly coats vaguely hinting of the 70s. One of my favorite looks was a collarless navy blazer edged in grey flannel. Nearly always when I see a Pilati men’s show I think, Why can’t he do this piece or that piece for women? There is—how shall I put it?—more peculiarity with his men’s shows than his women’s. Not more finesse but a natural expressiveness, registered best in his choice of fabrics.

Before the YSL presentation, I stopped by the Bristol Hotel for a small gathering for Jonathan Newhouse, who runs Conde Nast International for the family firm. Jonathan was receiving an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters. He gave a very funny, affectionate speech filled with stories of his early endeavors to learn the French language, including the phrase “My tailor is rich.” He threw that line toward Sidney Toledano, the chief executive of Dior. It’s always great hearing an American describe his experiences in Paris. The party had a mix of friends, family and business people, including S.I. Newhouse, Carine Roitfeld, Franca Sozzani, Karl Lagerfeld, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Alber Elbaz, Stefano Pilati, and Ralph Toledano (of Chloe).

More men’s wear this afternoon. Louis Vuitton opened with a model lugging a LV case for vinyl LP’s and another in a motorcycle helmet. The general tone of the swank sportswear seemed to be “a man who has a life.” There were shawl-collar jackets, turtlenecks, cobalt and electric blues, dusty pinks, chalky-dense fabrics, and some of the boys had their hair swept out like the back end of a mallard duck. It was charming, really.

Dries Van Noten’s show tonight was terrific: Lots of colors of the bottle-green and deep purple variety, and a fresh, overall looseness. He took the classic navy blazer and pair of gray flannels and softened them in a casual way, pulling the line slightly downward. He also played around with pajama tops and pants, in plaid silks, but saved them from looking like a collegiate cliché. The show was intelligent, combining sophistication (a classic navy overcoat with a dark fur collar) and a street dressiness (a chunky navy and cream striped turtleneck, shirts with tails out). Van Noten is good at suggesting the stylishly improvised—this season on a runway of strips of brown packaging tape cut and arranged in a herringbone floor pattern.Chanel

I’m off to the warm lights of the Café Castiglione for a good French steak.

Valerio Mezzanotti for The New York TimesA look from the fall Miu Miu show.

Though the last couple of days have seemed an eternity, with everyone dragging toward the finish line, there’s no getting around the fact that the Paris shows served up a lot of good fashion. We may not see another season like this in awhile. Balenciaga, Lanvin, Comme des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, McQueen, Galliano last night with the folk costumes and the toxic snow, Rochas, Louis. I thought the opening and closing looks at Miu Miu tonight were really interesting; I’m not sure the clothes that involved deconstructed lapels and fur bits over bras were all that successful. But I liked how Miuccia Prada did the sleeveless wool coat dresses, so that they sort of draped in a relaxed way in the front and tied on the hip. Also: the lanky, boxy fit of some of the coats.

Valerio Mezzanotti for The New York TimesA creation by Azzedine Alaia.

Azzedine Alaia gave a small presentation this afternoon in his studio/showroom, mainly for buyers. Part of his genius is that he sticks with a project. The development of one technique leads him to the next idea. How long has he been doing knit dresses with ruffled, flaring skirts? Now the skirts seem puffed with little pockets of air, creating a shape like a cocoon. Rows of cocoons, actually. He showed some wonderful boleros in wool and leather that seem to adhere to the body, and close asymmetrically across the collarbone. I remember when he first started making leather kilts. This was about 10 years ago. Since then he’s done them with a complicated series of cutouts and notches. This time, the surface of gathered leather skirts looks feathery, from delicately fringed leather or suede bands. He also showed some beautiful velvet dresses with minimal tops held at a few points, leaving the back mostly exposed.

It’s late here in Paris. My room is a mess. The flowers that people sent are faded and dying. I’m going to pour myself a glass of wine and leave you with a final thought. What makes a particular fashion attractive? Now there’s a question for this crazy-chic season: Is it Louis Vuitton and Lanvin and Balenciaga with their feminine flourishes? Or is it Alaia and Comme des Garcons and Prada (to mention the most obvious) with their masculine elements?Christian Dior bags