On the eve of Mr Armani’s 90th birthday, at Armani Privé we are treated to a lesson in the designer’s DNA. Languid, transparent, effortless and softly grown-up. A wave of liquid velvet and pearls for miles. Night-sky silvers. Heavy satin draped pants. Delicate. The morning dawn. This is history in the making, another time another world. I’m lucky to be here.
Wednesday
The high jewellery crusade continues at the Ritz with Cartier, we are on a roll. The Nature Sauvage collection is here, resplendent in its engineering. Other discoveries include the Coussin de Cartier ring and a bracelet from the Tutti Tutti collection that are crazy light. So incredibly supple, they are like pillows of softness to touch, completely flexible sapphires. There is a staggering opulence and intricacy in this voluptuousness.
At the Salons de Couture on Avenue George V, Balenciaga is a mess of Nicole Kidman with her daughter Sunday; Naomi Watts and her daughter Kai are there too; Juergen Teller and his partner, Dovile Drizyte. It’s a family affair. There is something wickedly spectacular about the old and the new here – such is the audacious modernity of Demna’s thinking.
As the first looks pass through the salon, with their blend of subcultural and Balenciaga codes, the volume of the street meets the classic cocoon: the collection is electrifying. A faux-fur coat of synthetic hair is shaped, and hand- dyed too. Couture looks have been upcycled and reconstructed. Jackets that appear to be tied at the waist are engineered as one look. The hair and make-up add goth. Balenciaga has always challenged preconceptions of traditional couture and it’s exciting.
Thursday
The mercury has hit 40 degrees. It’s damn hot as we head to the Ritz again (hard life) for the launch of the Celine Beauty collection by Hedi Slimane. It kicks off with one red lipstick, Le Rouge Triomphe, the brand’s first satin shade. He is super good at nailing the French woman and this is it in one glossy slick of red dressed in a weighty gold case.
The detail and care for exceptional design that creates an emotional intercourse is running rich through couture. The takeaway: Paris wins the fashion Olympics.
Issue 73 of HBRPEDIA – RISING, RENEW, RENAISSANCE – is on newsstands September 19. Pre-order your copy here.
