Style Forecaster: Catwalk Report: Schiaparelli Couture Fall/Winter 2015-16

Schiaparelli Couture Fall 2015

Bertrand Guyon made his debut at the Schiaparelli Couture Fall/Winter 2015-16 runway show and what a grand entrance it was. Albeit the mood was sombre and the setting non-descript, the clothes that were strutted and glided, marched and floated down this runway most certainly were not. Because strut, glide or float, you could have done each and any of these walks in the myriad of styles and personalities that made up this collection.

The first model emerged powerful and almost regal looking in a black short sleeve jacket showered in gold rhinestones with a mao neck, and a long sleeve top with shimmering black arms peering out from beneath the jacket pieced together with a pair of tailored black tapered trousers. It was power dressing in its most demure yet decorative form. However, power dressing did not set the tone for the rest of what was to emerge onto the runway.

From brilliant cerise pink chiffon to ink black velvet evening gowns, matching sets in jade green and gold and pink and gold brocade and an indulgent floor length taupe fur coat embellished with a pink black and yellow pattern with bursts of long haired powder pink fur spraying from the coat made this collection more unpredictable than imaginable.

The collection, albeit always luxurious, had a grown up, sometimes androgynous feel to it, with oversized coats and tailored trouser suits all in opulent fabrics. Then it was regal, heavenly and offered the sense of a higher being, with a white floor length toga and gold column dresses that appeared to be inspired by the Grecian goddesses. Decorative crown like gold pieces worn atop the models’ heads referenced royalty, as did the endless amounts of rich looking gold brocade worn head to toe. And that pale pink sheer dress with cascading flowers tumbling down the dress vine like was so heavenly its gate could easily have been depicting those to the Garden of Eden.

Finally it was artistic and reminiscent of the house itself with homage paid to those that had collaborated with Elsa herself, fashion illustrator and costume designer Marcel Vertes and Bebe Berard. An illustrated picture featured at the skirt of a commanding white dress that was not only striking for its imagery, but for its silhouette that was small in the waist with brilliant emphasised hips. Covering a floor length pastel pink dress with a plunging neckline and tie waist with an illustrated face motif or emblazoning Schiap’s face front and centre of a furry midi skirt seemed like the most natural thing to do and, indeed, it worked.

Alongside Gimabattista Valli’s billowing and breathtaking Couture Fall 2015-16 show, Schiaparelli is arguably one of the best shows of the season. Couture doesn’t have to be affordable, functional nor even typically beautiful, it’s about showing off a houses craftsmanship and its artistry. Bertand Guyon ticked all the boxes but one – Couture will never be affordable, at least not reasonably so.