Pursuit of Happiness

Gallery

Pursuit of Happiness

Alber Elbaz for Lanvin, John Galliano at Dior and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel give women what they want -- beautiful, wearable clothes.

» LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel spoke to customers using the brand's basics: hues of black and white, camellias, chains, pearls and tweeds. Against a stage set that duplicated the facade of the company's Paris flagship, Lagerfeld evoked the history of Chanel, but in a way that situated it perfectly in the present. From his gray and white sparkling suits to his black lace gypsy skirts, the collection distilled the Chanel of the fashion imagination into chic clothes.

These designers have created garments that tickle a woman's imagination and make her think of dressing as a joy -- a true feat. It's much easier to define oneself as a designer by challenging a woman's definition of beauty or the prevailing dictates of the fashion industry. It's easier to concern oneself with social statements and the visionary ideal.

Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent

Alexander McQueen struck an uneasy compromise between his skill as a dressmaker and tailor, and a personality that is drawn to provocation. He was inspired by environmentalism, endangered species and Darwinism. On Friday, he divided his collection in two parts: One celebrated nature, and one expressed concern and distaste at the impact of the Industrial Revolution.

The most moving garments were those that honored nature, particularly two dresses constructed of sheer layers of fabric that housed pressed flowers. The second half of the presentation was dominated by graphic, abstract prints with silhouettes that hugged the body and had more aggressive and jarring lines and angles.

McQueen's presentation -- against a backdrop of taxidermic polar bears, leopards and tigers and a giant spinning globe -- offered an admirable, cautionary statement about the environment. One only wished that the clothes, particularly in the second half of the show, were as memorable as his message.

Designer Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent is wholly in service to aesthetics. Women? They are welcome to come along for the ride, but he's not making any detours to please them.

He showed a collection on Thursday that was a roller coaster of elegantly tailored jackets cut from fabric with a shadowy teardrop pattern, innovative graphic pumps, a glorious strapless white evening gown with origami folds and then baffling dropped crotch shorts. Then down, down, down to absurd gowns with hemlines stitched shut, making it look as though the model's feet were protruding from holes in the bottom of a sack. The design philosophy on this point comes across as selfish. The look isn't flattering. It prevents a woman from crossing her legs. It makes a trip to the bathroom torturously complicated. Retailers intent on having one of these gowns on their racks might request that they be delivered without the bonus seam. They'd be fools not to. So what is the point of showing them that way on the runway, other than to announce one's belief that the integrity of the design is more important than the woman who might wear it?

This city gives its designers license to play out their aesthetic fantasies. But with that freedom comes responsibility. The needs of women cannot be entirely dismissed. Their dignity is not to be toyed with. And make no mistake, female designers have the same capacity as their male counterparts to stitch up devastatingly undignified frocks.

Stella McCartney, Rue du Mail, Louis Vuitton, Chloe

Consider the contrast between designers Stella McCartney and Martine Sitbon and the new designer at Chloe. McCartney's runway presentations often fall a bit flat because the work she puts on her models is so reasonable and wearable. The collection she showed Thursday was filled with needlepoint dresses in pale pink and loosefitting sweaters worn over sparkly slips. She understands how much the average woman is willing to reveal before she starts to worry other women are talking trash about her behind her back.

Sitbon, designing the Rue du Mail collection, knows how to appeal to a woman's desire to be cool. Her black legging-like trousers paired with a fitted black blazer gave the model a sly, feline look. And her collage dresses in pale shades of peach and gray called to mind work that had been on the Balenciaga runway as well as a host of others. But her version was lighter, less tightfitting and ultimately less aggressive. And it reflected a jigsaw puzzle aesthetic that has been one of the dominant themes -- aside from references to Africa and the American West -- in this city.