(Reuters) - Jean Paul Gaultier delivered an ode to Amy Winehouse at his spring/summer 2012 haute couture show in Paris on Wednesday. The late pop singer's musical spirit and bad girl fashion sense were all over the runway.
"No, no, no," sang the four male Afro-American acapella singers who kicked off the show, using Winehouse's husky battle cry "Rehab" as a backdrop to 1950s and 60s-inspired looks.
Sporting pink, red, blonde and black beehives, the leggy models with thick cat-eye eyeliner sported lots of lace, sequins, peek-a-boo skin -- and even cigarettes.
A shocking canary-yellow sequined blouson was paired with an equally bright turquoise slim sequined skirt in a sexy look worthy of 50s pin-up girl Betty Page.
Another seemed tailor-made for a gal with a hangover who doesn't want to get out of bed: a satin peignoir in a printed marquetry fabric worn over a jewel-encrusted bustier.
Winehouse, who died in July from alcohol poisoning, was known for her rich voice, songs that recalled 1960s girl bands, her towering hairstyle and struggles with drugs and alcohol.
The singer's voice on her best-selling hit "Back to Black" filled the vast room at the end of the show as models with veils covering their faces filed past guests such as Catherine Deneuve and burlesque star Dita Von Teese.
At Givenchy, tough was also on the menu, but designer Riccardo Tisci used beading, heavy embroidery, and animal skins to create armor-like dresses and jackets.
The atelier showed 10 looks on Tuesday inspired by Fritz Lang's 1927 film "Metropolis." Hints of Art Deco design on collars and sleeves gave way to a hard-edged, futuristic sensibility.
A black jacket, like a suit of armor, was stitched from thousands of tiny black beads with a black crocodile overlay.
Stars adorned the back of the jacket, while swirls of flowers at the cuffs were sewn from individual scales. The overall effect was a Gothic armadillo meets Mad Max.
In another look, the skin of a crocodile was literally recreated, scale by scale, on a woman's body, held in place by invisible tulle. Wrapped around the waist, resembling a Japanese obi, was the animal's spine, with two tails creating the belt.
Even the design on a flowing white skirt resembled scales, sewn via tiny transparent sequins and set off with a bold, silver chain connecting the skirt to the shoulder.
For the top, Tisci played it simple, choosing a classic white t-shirt -- a look, in fact, that Winehouse may have approved of.
(Reporting By Alexandria Sage, editing by Paul Casciato)
“Her energy is endless,” says Marc Jacobs of artist Yayoi Kusama - with whom Louis Vuitton has collaborated to create what will be the most expansive fashion and accessories line the house has ever produced, launching in July.
"It's a graphic idea of what I like, what could be translated from me to girls," he explained. "It's very graphic; black and white, silver and grey. Chanel is me doing Chanel, Fendi is me doing Italy and this is me doing me, whatever that means. Don't ask me too many questions because it's very strange to see your face wherever you turn."
Fashion designer Alex Mattsson said he felt "very privileged" to have won the opportunity to showcase his designs.
Autumn has arrived at Armani Collezioni, where Giorgio Armani focused on daywear with sophisticated, functional looks. Slim, elongated silhouettes - narrow wool pants worn with a belted cardigan ...
"My personal experience of fighting and surviving breast cancer could not have happened without the extraordinary advances in scientific research and medical treatment at institutions like City of Hope," said Sokol. "I am honored to be recognized by an organization that embodies hope and provides compassionate care to patients and their families."
Several items from Karl Lagerfeld's new eponymous collection have already sold out on Net-a-Porter, and still more have popped up on eBay — a true indicator of popularity, if there ever was one. His new collection's inevitable success also merited a video interview with Vogue's Hamish Bowles, who asks Karl why he went after the bridge price point — that is to say, much cheaper than Chanel and Fendi, but pricier than his previous collaborations with Macy's and H&M.
After a lot of hard work - Louis Vuitton Rome Etoile Maison Opening
Models’ arms were sheathed in sheer fabric, their hands gently wrapped in lace gloves, both so fine as to be barely visible. Some gowns were intricately hand-embelished clocking up timesheets of hundreds of hours apiece.
Stars adorned the back of the jacket, while swirls of flowers at the cuffs were sewn from individual scales. The overall effect was a Gothic armadillo meets Mad Max.
