Chanel head up imaginative, spirited day of shows

PARIS (AP) - “Don’t take things too seriously,” said Karl Lagerfeld standing next to a towering wind turbine inside Paris’ Grand Palais, “especially not fashion.”

Chanel’s veteran designer, with trademark humor, thus summed up an important message of this Paris season.

The iconic house’s fun, young collection headlined the penultimate day of Paris spring-summer 2013 show.

The fact the show had nothing whatsoever to do with the several eco-turbines constructed for the event _ no doubt at a huge cost to the environment _ didn’t seem to matter.

Fashion insiders were busy concentrating on the myriad 81 ensembles_ which made this collection possibly the longest Chanel show in history.

A pinch of salt, too, may have been required Sarah Burton’s ode to the McQueen bee, which mixed regal looking crinolines, 1950s silhouttes with bees and insect armory.

As ever, the Alexander McQueen’s ready-to-wear show was Paris Fashion Week’s most original, living up to the spirit of the designer who died in 2010.

Trends on Tuesday included cutouts, as featured in a strong showing from Valentino _ with Jennifer Lopez on the front row _ and in Paco Rabanne’s signature “69” dics that exposed inches of bare flesh.

Wednesday _ the grand finale of a dense and vibrant week _ includes shows from Elie Saab, Miu Miu and powerhouse Louis Vuitton.

CHANEL

Fun was the healthy mantra which infiltrated Tuesday’s Chanel show _ a bright and diverse collection brimming with great new ideas.

Silver bauble appliques became buttons, A-line skirts were playfully short, colorful checks contrasted funkily with geometric flashes, and feather fringing billowed exuberantly.

One model in a crossing “C” swimsuit even carried a three-foot (nearly 1 meter) handbag.

A bold new fashion idea was the reworked bolero jacket with curved shoulders, often spruced up with inflated arms.

The wide T-shaped bolero silhouette spread onto sweaters and inspired many of the show’s best looks.

Story Continues →

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.