Patterns, prints hit Paris shows

PARIS / AP

A tardy Nicki Minaj held up H&M’s fall-winter evening show that ended on a stirring note with a performance by The Weeknd. It capped a dizzying day in Paris.
Day 2 of Paris Fashion Week saw deconstructed clothes, blown-up prints, and contrasting patterns shake up the runways at the VIP-filled collections of Dries Van Noten, Maison Margiela and Lanvin.
Here are some highlights:

LANVIN’S NEW TONE
There’s been a dramatic change in tone at Lanvin since Bouchra Jarrar took over the creative reins from Alber Elbaz last year. Slim-cut jackets, menswear python chain boots, and — gasp — pant suits have all been injected into the house’s nostalgic DNA of uber-feminine, diaphanous and glitzy gowns.
The results have been mixed.
Jarrar has added a down-to-earth vibe to the ready-to-wear designs that has lessened the dreamy romanticism associated with the Elbaz years. But the sense luxury and sophistication has not been completely lost.
Contrasts were the order of the day on Wednesday in a show that emphasized frothy neck detailing and Victorian silhouettes. A coat in bold chevron motif fur contrasted severely with a pale pink mirror satin slip dress. While, a long striped tweed coat jarred with the soft sheen of a slip dress in ivory mirror satin. Their intentional textural polarity might not be
a hit for everyone. But they were finely
executed.

LANVIN’S FRENCH STARS
French cinema icon Isabelle Adjani caused a stir as she arrived at the last minute at Lanvin’s show. The 62-year-old star — who gained international fame for movies such as “Camille Claudel” and “Diabolique” as well as two Oscar nominations — slipped into the Hotel de Ville show venue, perhaps hoping to be hidden behind her turban and shades. But the accessories didn’t fool the photographers. To a flash of cameras, she took her seat opposite the former soccer player and “Elizabeth” actor Eric Cantona, 50, who declined to speak to the press.

MAISON MARGIELA SNIPS AWAY
It was snip, snip, snip for John Galliano.
The Maison Margiela designer took to the classic wardrobe with couture scissors for an inventive show that pared down garments to their bare essentials. The opening look — a traditional stone trench coat — was cut away at the chest into a heart shape to evoke the silhouette of a bustier dress.
If there was one leitmotif, it was found in the blown-up prints, polka dots, faux snakeskin and checks that littered the runway. The vertical lines on a plaid check on a patchwork coat were frayed into tassels — the textile itself deconstructed — which seemed to mesh with the tousled, frayed hair of the runway model.
Elsewhere, varsity coats were turned inside out with the hidden rough hems exposed in a feat of deconstruction.
Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, a lover of flowers and of Eastern styles, fused both passions together in the show Wednesday — resulting in a contrasting fashion symphony of color and kinesis.