>> At first glance — with all the feather-spiked hair and thigh-high leather — Ann Demeulemeester's Fall 2012 collection might appear to veer a little too far into hardcore territory. But dig a little deeper, look a little longer, and here's what you'll uncover: a graceful collection of artfully-draped separates and precisely-tailored jackets, all in a lush palette of black-on-black and indigo.
>> For his second season at Balmain, Olivier Rousteing combined the house's trademark androgynous edge with intricate Fabergé egg-inspired embellishment. The result was a strong collection that managed to look tough and lovely all at once. Pearl embellishment, floral embroidery, gold thread work, and intricate quilting gave an ornate flourish to Balmain classics like boxy tuxedo jackets, moto vests, cuffed leather pants, fitted military dresses, and slim-lined trousers.
>> Six seasons in and Guillaume Henry has etched out quite the niche at Carven. The quirky coquette charm continues for Fall 2012 with a whole new selection of pinafore dresses and Peter Pan blouses to covet. This time around, however, the signature pieces come covered in ecclesiastic references and Renaissance-inspired shapes. If all that sounds too serious, don't worry, it's not. The pinafore dresses are still short and swingy, it's just that now they come with fitted bodices, keyhole necklines, bell-shaped skirts, or hip-accentuating flares. Also worked into the offering: a gorgeous mix of color, pattern, and print. It came in the form of Hieronymus Bosch-inspired prints, stained-glass-inspired cutout motifs, fur colors, tapestry fabrics, and multihued blanket stripes. "It's playful, but not that strict. She has to be elegant and she can't be too girly. It's about contrasts," Henry explained.
>> The '80s disco space odyssey Nicolas Ghesquière embarked on for Pre-Fall reached full orbit today at the Fall 2012 Balenciaga show in Paris. This season, however, the electric hues, metallic leather, angular prints, shoulder-heavy silhouettes, and eclectic combinations were imbibed with a little corporate office fantasy. "We imagined this Balenciaga Inc. company and then we started to identify the functions the staff have and the clothes they would wear — the space-age sweatshirt girls were the spies infiltrating the company," the designer explained.
