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14 The Global Edition of The New York Times

Monday, September 29, 2008 Fashion Fashion International Herald Tribune
Monday, September 29, 2008 15
The Suzy
Collections Paris Menkes Futurism
Balmain’s in a
d rowned
Madonna moment world
he stark black and white

T armor shielding the body,

the scales shifting like tec-
tonic plates and the ruffs of
righteousness at the neck — Ga reth
Pugh’s compelling show might
have been a metaphor for fashion
holding together as the world turns.
But this creative collection,
which opened the summer 2009
season in Paris, had quite a different
inspiration, according to the 27-
year-old British designer who is one
of fashion’s high hopes.
‘‘It is always Ophelia — black and
white, half in and half out of the wa-
ter,’’ he said, referring to Hamlet’s
drowned love in the Shakespearean
tragedy. So intertwined with futur-
ism and in contrast to the rigidity of
a single gauntlet or plastic triangles
poking from eyelids, was a watery
softness: a wrap gown wafting in or-
ganza or stiff square plates col-
lapsed into a drowned world,
emerging as a hooded coat.
The significance of Pugh is not so
much the clothes themselves — a l-
though narrow pants and slender
dresses represent a wearable futur-
ism — but the meticulous detail.
Not since the 1980s era of Claude
Montana and Thierry Mugler has a
designer created such power-wom-
an silhouettes with such intricate
workmanship, from the sculpted
‘‘wet’’ hair through skeletal ‘‘frills’’
to two-tone black and white/posi-
tive and negative at back and front.
The show might refer to the
former fashion era, when Pugh,
born in 1981, was only a child, but
the designer sees that time through
a cyberworld prism with its hyper-
modernity of body scanning and
android persona.
Having won the French Andam
fashion award for talent, and with
the support of the designer Rick
Owens, Pugh is zooming toward his
own fashion future. — Suzy Menkes GARETH PUGH
Photographs by Chris Moore/Karl Prouse

Web site offers ‘all access’

www.dior.com

to McQueen show

BA LMAIN
Photographs by Chris Moore/Karl Prouse

he infectious exuberance of Ba lmain is the card When the jeans weren’t shredded, they were given treat-

T that the designer Christophe Decarnin plays. His

sparkling show Sunday of hard chic with Grecian
drapes was a take on the 1980s. Madonna was on
the soundtrack and jackets had wide molded shoulders.
Although the designer talked backstage about ‘‘Desper-
ments from artistic patches of stone wash to prints of
passing clouds or stitch decoration to shape the legs. From
boy looks to girly, without reducing the sparkle content,
the designer sent out tutu dresses. Their tulle skirts boun-
cing below crystals at the waist looked fresher than the
ately Seeking Susan,’’ the show was not so much Madonna brief clingy dresses that have been the stock-in-trade of
in trash glamour from the 1985 film as the glitter and studs Ba lmain’s youthful revival.
of hot couture. Deca rnin’s vision is not experimental or as a fashion
From the first outfit of a jacket with military frogging in leader. But his high wattage party wear, beloved by Holly-
a glitter gulch of crystals, but worn with torn jeans and wood (Milla Jovovich sat front row) has caught the current
more glam slam for the shoes, the Balmain show caught a vibe of upbeat energy against the reality of a harsh world.
current fashion beat. — Suzy Menkes Courtesy of Net-a-porter
The Web page introduction, above, to Net-a-
porter’s Sept. 29 online show by Alexander
McQueen and two items in the capsule collection:
a two-piece suit and open-toed stilettos.

Boxing By Jessica Michault

PARIS
sons. The growing importance of
cruise or pre-collections has had
more and more designers present-

babies O
n Monday, while fashion
journalists, buyers and
glossy magazine editors
are focused on getting to
ing mini fashion shows, both online
and off.
The speed with which chain stores
like H&M and Zara are able to repro-
the next Paris fashion show on time, duce cheaper interpretations of key
ris Van Assche used the a style revolution will be under way runway looks has made the tradition-

K world of female boxers as in-

spiration for his first wom-
en’s wear runway show, tak-
ing the sport and its sportswear into
the domain of designer dressing.
on the Internet, an event that could
change the way all of those front-row
names do business in the future.
The online luxury retailer Net-a-
porter is teaming with the designer
al lag between a show and the collec-
tion’s arrival in stores feel outdated
and obsolete. And the trend toward
seasonless dressing — which can
find a shopper looking for light-
These million dollar babies with Alexander McQueen for a one-of-a- weight clothing even in the middle of
their thick braids, tattooed skin and kind catwalk show that will give the winter — supports a fundamental
tough attitude were ready for their Web site’s two million customers shift away from a rigid segmentation
title bouts in silk boxing shorts and their own front row seat at a Mc- of the fashion calendar.
matching silk robes in black and navy. Queen collection. ‘‘Pre-Internet, maybe it took six
Need a dress? Well, what makes more Eight looks from the designer’s months for a fashion message to get
sense than one concocted from layers pre-spring 2009 collection will be shown online and, once across to a customer base,’’ says Massenet. ‘‘Fashion mes-
of silk tank tops, or how about a two- the mini runway event is over, viewers will be able to pur- sages are now being sent out overnight, simultaneously, to
tone ensemble topped off with a mini chase items from the Web site and have them delivered every market in the world.’’
vest and oversized waistband of boxer within 24 hours in most locations. The event will give cus- The democratization of fashion, with photos and videos
elastic waistband rising from the hip. tomers a jump on the rest of the fashion pack, who won’t of almost every runway show in the world available online,
It seemed fitting that, once the de- have access to the McQueen designs until they reach Net-a- has created an Internet ‘‘all access’’ pass to the once inti-
signer moved his models out of boxing por ter’s brick-and-mortar competitors two months later. mate world of fashion. But more importantly it has built a
ring attire, they would adopt a man’s ‘‘It’s a super trunk show for the 21st century,’’ says Nat- powerful need among consumers for instant gratification
suit as their street armor. Van Assche alie Massenet, chairwoman and founder of Net-a-porter. and a frustration at finding the same outfits on offer,
sliced suit trousers into black ‘‘It’s very democratic, and it’s taking fashion directly to the whether in stores or on the Internet, day after day.
miniskirts; spliced hard and soft fab- consumer.’’ To match those desires, Net-a-porter this month began
rics together, like a pinstripe jacket The clothing, some of which was shown during the de- uploading new items twice a week, on Mondays and
with a sheer panel at the back; and signer’s menswear presentation in June, are distinctively Wednesdays, instead of just once as had been done since
strapped down a flowing sleeveless McQueen creations. In fact, the Net-a-porter video was the company opened in 2000. Massenet and her staff see
dress with a belt of suspender strap- filmed directly after that sweltering menswear show in the McQueen partnership as another step in that effort.
ping. As for that menswear mainstay, Italy. Well-received by critics at the time, the pieces have a ‘‘It’s a win-win-win situation,’’ says Massenet. ‘‘It’s a
the tie, it was transformed into a strong silhouette that contours the body to create some great showcase for the designer; it’s exciting for the con-
bolero of frayed boxing ring rope. striking new power suits. sumer because it goes direct to her. And if we can give
Van Assche gave a clear message to In addition to the multi-angle video presentation, there them the access to the something new and fresh that every-
the audience and, although menswear also will be a behind-the-scenes video of the designer fit- one is talking about — obviously, we win as we get amazing
on women has been done to death, it ting the models, tips on recreating the hair and makeup, sell through and traffic.’’
seemed like the right place to start for and a look-by-look breakdown of how the clothes are made This is not the first time that Net-a-porter has pushed
a designer known for dressing men. It and fitted. There will also be comprehensive descriptions the envelope of luxury sales. In February, it offered two
will be interesting to see if, for next of some of the finer details of the clothing, which some- outfits from the relaunched Halston line, with delivery the
season, he moves out of his comfort times even those sitting in the front row during a live show day after the show. But, Massenet says, ‘‘that time, the show
zone and into something more unex- have a hard time picking up. was for the press, and our customers just looked on.’’
pected. This new approach to retailing and runways has been With this collaboration, Net-a-porter.com has found a
KRIS VAN ASSCHE — Jessica Michault bubbling under the smooth fashion veneer for a few sea- way take its clientele far beyond a fashion show’s front row.