Tuesday, October 06, 2015

Saint Laurent's Grungy Spring 2016 Collection Gave the High Street Plenty to Copy

Saint Laurent's Grungy Spring 2016 Collection Gave the High Street Plenty to Copy:

A look from Saint Laurent's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
A look from Saint Laurent's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Hunter's runway endeavors in London haven't done much to elevate the Wellington boot, but perhaps Hedi Slimane can. At Saint Laurent's spring 2016 show in Paris on Monday night, the LA-based designer brought Glastonbury to the runway, spinning a song composed by John Dwyer just for the occasion and pairing almost every look with bedazzled and embroidered wellies, as well as toy tiaras — replicas of which are surely already in production over at Zara and Forever21 headquarters.

But what was perhaps most remarkable about the show was how everyday some of the clothes were: Slimane showed a white cotton camisole with low-rise blue jeans, black wellies and a trench coat, and the same ensemble with a quilted biker jacket instead. There was a pair of blue denim short overalls with a white tank and soft embroidered jacket, too, which drew to mind clothes we're used to seeing on a grocery run, not a runway. But perhaps this was Slimane's way of acknowledging how his customer wears his beloved jackets; or perhaps, just as he's done time and again with couture, he was subverting all our expectations about what should appear on the runway of a ready-to-wear show.

Between the more casual fare, there were silky, glittery and lacy little slips of dresses, plenty of slim suiting, and lots and lots of outerwear, ranging from trench coats in classic canvas and black leather; biker jackets in leather that was alternatively shruken, enlarged, studded or distressed; chubby furs; and still more jackets in oversized and patchworked denim, camo, leopard print, and black and gold sequins. Saint Laurent is a big — if selective — red carpet player these days, and though Slimane often dresses the house's favorite celebrities in evening suits, they'll also have lovely patchworked silk slip dresses in black and rosy golds to choose from, and another striking floor-length number with a high center-slit in grey.

As usual, Pierre Bergé, Catherine Deneuve and Betty Catroux sat front row, and on the runway Agyness Deyn (whose hair is long and brown these days) made a rare appearance. It was an awfully good way to spend a Monday night in Paris.

Homepage photo: Imaxtree

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