Threads of Thought

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Threads of Thought
At the last of the Paris shows for fall 2007, McQueen and Chloe stumbled while Lanvin soared.

So many of those accused of being witches were attacked because they were outspoken, strong women. In a collection created in memory of just such a woman, McQueen wrapped it up in a bullying presentation that sapped women of their strength.

Nina Ricci, Hermes

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For Nina Ricci, its Sunday morning show was meant to reestablish the prestige of a brand that had lost its lead designer. It would also be the first outing for new creative head Olivier Theyskens, who had worked for Rochas until that company closed its ready-to-wear division and put him out of a job.

Theyskens carved a window into a big white tent in the Tuileries that allowed the audience to see the bare branches of the trees in the distance. That simple act created a romantic vista that was the perfect backdrop for a collection with a thunderstorm-gray palette. It was filled with breezy dresses, jackets with balloon sleeves, mottled wool suits, stiletto-sharp jeans and evening gowns with spiraling tiers of ruffles.

It was a promising opening for Theyskens, who had been celebrated at Rochas for his artful evening wear but criticized for his small offering of day wear. In place of Nina Ricci's reputation for floral, hyper-feminine dresses, Theyskens introduced a more brooding, provocative femininity.

At Hermes on Saturday, the collection from Jean Paul Gaultier emerged as a blur of luxurious materials: crocodile, cashmere, glove leather. The theme was biker chic, but it really could have been anything at all so long as the house's handbags -- Birkins and Kellys -- were prominently featured. The ready-to-wear at Hermes serves as a mise-en-scene for the handbags. The clothes are beautiful but not especially memorable. They don't define an Hermes ready-to-wear aesthetic; they simply imply wealth.

Louis Vuitton

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Contrast that with the ready-to-wear collection at Louis Vuitton. It, too, is a brand defined by its handbags. But while Hermes bags are about longevity and the idea that a woman might pass one down to her daughter, the Louis Vuitton brand is focused on trends. It is an absurdly expensive disposable fashion.

The clothes at Vuitton are fashion-conscious. A wearer may not necessarily feel rich, but she'll feel hip. They are unveiled with blaring fanfare. The grandeur of the show is in marked contrast with the availability of the collection, which is generally limited to flagship Vuitton boutiques. But the point is not to sell the clothes, but to sell Louis Vuitton as a fashion brand. Subliminal message: Go buy a bag. Or two. Or five.

Designer Marc Jacobs did his job well. Inside a steamy tent in a courtyard of the Louvre, Jacobs presented a rainbow-colored collection of matte lamé skirts, fuzzy wool sweaters, pleated leather skirts and wool jackets with huge, looping, crocheted epaulets. There was even something called a "waxed rabbit dress" that looked a bit like a fur dress that had been caught in a rainstorm and emerged dripping in cool.

Chloe

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The greatest irony during these weeks of shows -- from New York to Milan and finally here -- is that all too often the pleasure of fashion goes missing. The fundamentals of commerce deaden the giddiness. Ego leads designers to "repair" collections that were never broken.

At the Chloe show Saturday, new designer Paulo Melim Andersson took a collection defined by girlish, vintage-inspired dresses and jackets, with an emphasis on delicate details and soft volume, and transformed it into a house filled with angry, asymmetrical black dresses, orange print skirts, platform combat boots and giant satchels tossed over the shoulder like a hobo's suitcase.

While every house has to evolve, Melim Andersson tossed out everything that was charming, enticing and -- arguably -- revenue-producing about the brand. He gutted a charming little cottage that just needed a new paint job.

John Galliano

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Part of that decision is related to a reality of the fashion industry. Designers hate being predictable, and the fashion industry's philosophy is that change is always good. As a result, no matter how successful a brand is at producing a particular aesthetic, it risks becoming staid and forgotten if it becomes formulaic.