coming as a ruffl ed dress in blue, or elsewhere a pale peach silk top.

Rick Owens cocoonsParis’ enfant terrible Rick Owens

presented a typically strong show Thursday evening — replete with abstract creative fl ourishes that saw

models becoming organically cocooned in material.

In one of the US-born designer’s most colorful shows in recent mem-ory, yards of purple, umber, jade, gray and off-white fabric was conjured up in divergent shapes

—some-times ruffl ed

and draped and gathered down the body, or exploding horizontally

across the bust.Nylon candy fl oss-style

wigs signaled the obliga-tory turn to the abstract for the lauded 53-year-old designer — as they com-pletely enveloped the models’ heads, with the silken feeling of a spider’s web or a sticky butterfl y cocoon.

Despite this description, many of these creative looks were also highly saleable, and for once Owens’ paid attention to the female form — high-lighting shoulder, and presenting some billowing pant designs that enviably elongated the leg.

Carven’s for the youngA sanitized, wholly on-trend Sixties

look infused the aesthetic at Carven.Minis, tight pants, and volumi-

nous coats defi ned silhouettes, while sequined sashes featured on tops along-side color-rich prints, that mirrored the marbled-effect panels that lined the Tuileries’ Gardens show venue. (AP)

PARIS: Models-of-the-minute Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner provoked double takes from the front row crowd at Paris Fashion Week on Thursday, appearing to have swapped hair color at Balmain. The play-ful hair confusion was cheered by front row attendees Kanye West and mother-in-law Kris Jenner.

Here are the other highlights of the fall-winter 2016 shows.

Hair SwapJenner, 20, opened Balmain’s show

in a dramatic pale blue layered cape silhouette.

But the fl urry of photographers’ fl ashes directed at the bold fall-winter outfi t was likely intensifi ed by the former brunette’s transformation into an icy blond.

It was a tongue-in-cheek move on the part of Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing.

Adding to the hairstyle drama, Hadid, who’s also 20, strutted out straight after Jenner, and in the place of her enviable blond locks she sported dark hair with a chic center parting.

The hair swap couple posed back-stage for a photo that appeared on Balmain’s Twitter account.

Balmain’s theaterDesigner Olivier Rousteing’s famed

sense of drama reached new heights — for good and for bad — at his fall-winter show for Balmain as the black and mirrored lozenge stone fl oor of the opulent venue contrasted with stripes on heavily ornamented silhouettes.

Heavy fringing, netting, thick layer-ing, hips sculpted roundly in corset-like ribbed skirts and stone-studded chokers created the sense of weighty opulence alongside decorative fabric embroider-ies and baroque swirls.

The feel was the late 19th century — and at certain points it evoked the noble dames of the Paris Opera under the Second Empire.

But this was still very 21st century Balmain.

Waists were aggressively cinched, often with the help of big bands, sometimes leading up to a corset bustier.

Lanvin presents without a designer

Lanvin is, along-side Christian Dior, one of two major Parisian houses steam-ing through the fashion seasons without a crea-tive director.

Israeli designer Alber Elbaz parted ways in October of last year after 15 years of his creative tenure under which storied Lanvin saw its reputation restored as one of France’s most creative brands.

Thursday saw the label present its fi rst collection without him.

Celebrity guests Kelly Rowland and Ciara ensured that the media interest was maintained in the fall-winter col-lection — but in the clothes themselves there was the slight feeling that some-thing was missing.

A beautiful gathered and ruffl ed one shoulder cocktail dress in cream hit a high, as did a Katharine Hepburn-style

tan, brown and cobalt blue — in often billowing and ruffl e-laced silhouettes and 70s-style center partings.

Neckties and ponchos conjured up the spirit of the famed Argentine or Uruguay-style cowboys —who became greatly admired and renowned in legends, folklore and in literature from the 18th century.

But Chloe— the house that was credited with inventing women’s ready-to-wear in the fi rst place — is for girls at heart. Thus the Gaucho styles were translated for a feminine palette — with poncho, or cape-style silhouettes —

1940s strong-shouldered black coat with fox fur slug chicly over the shoulder.

Chloe’s feminine GauchoDesigner Clare Waight Keller took

the famed Chloe girl on a Seventies-infused tour of the world of the gaucho in Thursday’s fall-winter ready-to-wear morning show.

Models strode past guests at Paris’ Grand Palais in leather boots in black,

NEWS/FEATURESARAB TIMES, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2016

21

Fash

ion

Above & below: mod-els presents creations by

Alexis Mabille, Lanvin, Rick

Owens, Vete-ments, Barbara Bui & Balmain

during Fall/Winter 2016

Fashion Week on March 3 in Paris.

(AFP)

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