03 March 2014 | 15:44

Femininity with attitude, easy elegance at Paris fashion

Chloe designer Clare Waight Keller on Sunday mixed soft, pastel coloured femininity with untamed attitude while Celine's Phoebe Philo was all about easy elegance on day six of Paris fashion, AFP reports. Dresses in folded layers of chiffon and drop panelled skirts embodied the essence of traditional Chloe woman in Waight Keller's autumn/winter 2014/15 collection. Wildcat furs with tangled fringing and padded leathers, however, added a sense of mystery and magnetism, according to the young British designer who has been at the helm at Chloe since May 2011. "For me it was really looking at a different kind of girl... a bit more wild, a bit more mysterious," she told AFP backstage. "It was really a play on the idea of the Chloe femininity but in a more mysterious sense and I really liked the idea of bringing that sort of spirit and attitude into the fabrics too," she said. Waight Keller made her name at Pringle of Scotland -- much loved by golfers for its diamond patterned jumpers -- where she reinvented the heritage brand as contemporary fashion. Stand-out looks in her collection included elegant wrap coats, long column dresses in matte georgette and culottes teamed with knee-high suede boots. Prints, meanwhile, came in shadow dots and geometric shapes. Elsewhere, Celine's Phoebe Philo, one of Waight Keller's predecessors at Chloe, kept faith with her oversized silhouettes -- now all over the shops partly due to her efforts -- but also offered a string of slim fitting looks. Still largely minimalist, feathers, coloured stones and a furry belt with one end trailing like a tail were subtly worked in. Other looks included a long black tailored coat with two vertical lines of white buttons linked by a horizontal one and a witty asymmetrical black and white wrap skirt and top. "It's magnificent and sophisticated: The silhouette! The allure! The proportions!" impressed fashion consultant Jean-Jacques Picart told AFP. Even better, he said, there would be "no need to be tall and thin" to wear the clothes. Also on Sunday, French designer Maxime Simoens revealed that her black, white and silver only collection had been inspired by Oscar contender "Gravity" and Stanley Kubrick's "2001: Space Odyssey". "The idea was to do something very pure, as if every model was a little star... to dream a bit, while staying in ready-to-wear, because what we do has to be saleable," she said. Some evening dresses looked ready for the red carpets where French actresses like Lea Seydoux and Berenice Bojo have already showcased Simoens' creations. Paris fashion moves into the home straight on Monday with shows from Stella McCartney and Saint Laurent followed by Chanel on Tuesday. The nine-day ready-to-wear marathon wraps up on Wednesday with Nicolas Ghesquiere's debut at Louis Vuitton among the last shows.

Chloe designer Clare Waight Keller on Sunday mixed soft, pastel coloured femininity with untamed attitude while Celine's Phoebe Philo was all about easy elegance on day six of Paris fashion, AFP reports. Dresses in folded layers of chiffon and drop panelled skirts embodied the essence of traditional Chloe woman in Waight Keller's autumn/winter 2014/15 collection. Wildcat furs with tangled fringing and padded leathers, however, added a sense of mystery and magnetism, according to the young British designer who has been at the helm at Chloe since May 2011. "For me it was really looking at a different kind of girl... a bit more wild, a bit more mysterious," she told AFP backstage. "It was really a play on the idea of the Chloe femininity but in a more mysterious sense and I really liked the idea of bringing that sort of spirit and attitude into the fabrics too," she said. Waight Keller made her name at Pringle of Scotland -- much loved by golfers for its diamond patterned jumpers -- where she reinvented the heritage brand as contemporary fashion. Stand-out looks in her collection included elegant wrap coats, long column dresses in matte georgette and culottes teamed with knee-high suede boots. Prints, meanwhile, came in shadow dots and geometric shapes. Elsewhere, Celine's Phoebe Philo, one of Waight Keller's predecessors at Chloe, kept faith with her oversized silhouettes -- now all over the shops partly due to her efforts -- but also offered a string of slim fitting looks. Still largely minimalist, feathers, coloured stones and a furry belt with one end trailing like a tail were subtly worked in. Other looks included a long black tailored coat with two vertical lines of white buttons linked by a horizontal one and a witty asymmetrical black and white wrap skirt and top. "It's magnificent and sophisticated: The silhouette! The allure! The proportions!" impressed fashion consultant Jean-Jacques Picart told AFP. Even better, he said, there would be "no need to be tall and thin" to wear the clothes. Also on Sunday, French designer Maxime Simoens revealed that her black, white and silver only collection had been inspired by Oscar contender "Gravity" and Stanley Kubrick's "2001: Space Odyssey". "The idea was to do something very pure, as if every model was a little star... to dream a bit, while staying in ready-to-wear, because what we do has to be saleable," she said. Some evening dresses looked ready for the red carpets where French actresses like Lea Seydoux and Berenice Bojo have already showcased Simoens' creations. Paris fashion moves into the home straight on Monday with shows from Stella McCartney and Saint Laurent followed by Chanel on Tuesday. The nine-day ready-to-wear marathon wraps up on Wednesday with Nicolas Ghesquiere's debut at Louis Vuitton among the last shows.

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