Paris fashion week spring-summer 2012
Paris fashion week spring-summer 2012: a riot of color and harmonious sensuality
The woman of the next spring-summer season 2012 will be surrounded by glamour and stylish elegance, according to what was presented by the biggest stars of the French fashion panorama at the recent Paris fashion week spring-summer 2012, which opened on September 27th and concluded just a few days ago, on October 5th.
This season’s event, like previous ones, fulfilled the expectations of all those buyers and fashion magazines’ directors who came to France especially to discover the innovative feminine spring-summer look created by the top French (and Italian) fashion designers for the coming summer season of 2012.
Many different designers took part in this prestigious fashion event this year and, despite their different styles and visions of glamour, they all seem to agree on an image of a woman who dresses to impress next year, revealing all her sex appeal and natural elegance, even in her day to day life, wearing a simple suit or a shirt and a mini skirt.
Particular attention is paid to the choice of fabrics used to manufacture dresses and pants, given that they all must guarantee total comfort but, at the same time assure the wearer of her natural refinement and sensuality.
This is the reason why fashion houses propose soft and silky fabrics, which perfectly adapt to a woman’s curves, enhancing her body without being too showy.
Satin, silk and embroidered cotton are the most suitable fabrics, often alternating with lace and tulle, especially for evening dresses. These, despite what was seen in past editions, can be either ankle-length or above the knee, both lengths absolutely charming and well-finished in every detail, with small pearls and decorations.
The waistline is enhanced with belts, made in the same fabric as the skirt or simply in leather and stones, but generally they are narrow and quite sober in colour. Their main task in fact is not to attract attention to themselves but simply to show off the perfect silhouette of the woman.
Handbags and small clutches (to match a cocktail dress) are fundamental accessories to complete the woman’s look for next spring-summer 2012, according to what was proposed by designers at the French fashion week. They are not only an essential ally of every woman’s beauty (holding everything she needs through the day to look sensual and fresh in any situation) but, wearing a bag, a woman appears more self-confident and her look is strengthened.
Shoes are not necessarily high heeled but, as proposed by Valentino, they can also be ultra flat for a more youthful style. However, high-heeled shoes are a Must if you wear an evening dress wrapping your body.
The colors proposed by the French designers as essential shades for next spring-summer 2012 are the typical fresh summer shades such as white, sky blue, coral pink, powder beige, orange, yellow, acid green, as well as more classic colors such as midnight blue, purple, bottle green and the perennial black, which is widely used by almost all designers as the top color for a luxury evening look, even better on sensual fabrics such as sheer tulle or lace.
But what are the styles proposed by some of the most important fashion houses at the latest Paris Fashion week? Let’s look at them in more detail!
Louis Vuitton brings us closer to summer with his mini dresses and mini shorts in typical spring colors such as peach pink, green, sky-blue, yellow, as well as classic white and black that, joined together, create a really special effect. Decorations and floral prints are very present in this collection, in strong and vivid tonalities contrasting with the base shade of the dress, altogether making us wish for summer to arrive right away.
Suits are elegant but sensual while dresses are above the knee leaving the woman’s legs uncovered.
The evening look is dominated by sexy fabrics such as lace and transparent tulle for the creation of very gorgeous dresses revealing all woman’s sensuality and refinement.
The classic Vuitton trunk bag constantly accompanies the Vuitton woman’s look for next spring-summer 2012, the color matching her outfit, or else in transparent fabric for the day look while, for special occasions, the Vuitton bag becomes more precious, with crocodile leather trims or even entirely made of crocodile leather.
Cacharel fashion house too, focuses its new spring-summer collection on vivacity, creating a multi colored style for its woman, mainly based on fresh shades such as white, orange, blue-violet and sky-blue. Mini shorts enhance perfectly toned legs while the belt emphasizes the waistline. Dresses are linear and really simple in style but absolutely trendy, also thanks to the use of patterned fabrics ranging from red to blue.
The elegant evening dress is fluid and silky, mainly focused on neutral shades such as beige or ivory with light colored streaks or delicate prints, knee-length or, if long, detailed with sheer sections.
White, beige, powder pink, ivory, and peach pink are the main shades characterizing the 2012 spring-summer collection presented by Chanel, even though black maintains its prestige next year too, used for jackets, trousers and shorts but also for light double-breasted coats combined with white.
The day-time style also sees the use of patterned “graffiti effect” fabrics, and of vivid shades such as electric blue, red and yellow, above all for creations of a more casual, young look.
The evening dress, on the other hand, is sensual and gorgeous, enriched by lace and tulle or with jewel decorations, while bags are really small, a sort of clutch with golden chain strap and made from glossy leather.
Christian Dior promotes the idea of an independent woman, self reliant and really sensual, with a nostalgia for past styles, in particular for the style of the 30’s, as we can see from the hats worn by the models or the wide skirts in soft and silky fabrics. Belts enhance the waistline while the handbag, ever faithful companion of the woman, is held by the handle, or clasped in the hand if small and it is mainly beige, black or red, made of ostrich, crocodile or natural leather.
The evening look is focused on vivid red, pearl grey and black with sheer sections or lace inserts. Skirts slit to the thigh make the woman’s silhouette even more seductive.
The Yves-Saint Laurent woman is dressed in pencil skirt and classic suits with a refined cut, brightened by shiny fabrics and lovely colors such as aqua-green, blue, violet and dark green, fuchsia and grey, while white and black are used above all for the evening look with silky fabrics such as satin, silk or tulle. Belts delineate the waistline, while the clutch to complete the woman’s outfit is really small and decorated with metallic golden sections.
Lace and elegant patterned fabrics are the main elements of Valentino’s collection too, both for short and long dresses and interspersed by sheer sections enhancing the woman’s legs and her shoulders. The shoulder bag accompanying the day look is enriched by studs both on the handles and on the body of the bag itself.
Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, established designers of Valentino’s fashion house, besides classic fabrics such as tulle, cotton, lace, and chiffon, adopt macramé to create dresses that are then well finished with embroidery. The main colors used are the classic Valentino red and snow white, while evening dresses are mainly in typical summer colors such as acid green, coral pink, grey-blue, black, powder pink, yellow and red, applied to satin, tulle (with sheer effects) and, obviously, to lace.
The clutch completing the elegant woman’s style, according to what was proposed by Valentino for next spring-summer 2012, is small, matching the dress in color and enriched by a golden chain strap, very often with an additional handle giving the woman the possibility to clasp it more comfortably and wear it with more ease.
Next to the perennial clutch (made of natural leather or crocodile), Valentino’s designers also propose bigger and more practical hobos, similarly available either in calf or in crocodile.
