FRANCE: YVES SAINT LAURENT AND VALENTINO PRESENT READY TO WEAR COLLECTIONS FOR AUTUMN/WINTER '95/96

Record ID: 639663

  • Title: FRANCE: YVES SAINT LAURENT AND VALENTINO PRESENT READY TO WEAR COLLECTIONS FOR AUTUMN/WINTER '95/96
  • Date: 20th March 1995
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 20 AND 21, 1995) (RTV - AVAILABLE ALL) (MARCH 21, 1995) 1. GV/SV VARIOUS OF YVES ST LAURENT FASHION SHOW - MODELS IN BLACK VELVET SUITS WITH SHORT SKIRTS/SHORT BLACK EVENING DRESSES/ YVES ST LAURENT WALKS DOWN CATWALK WITH MODEL IN BRIDAL OUTFIT TO APPLAUSE/ ZOOM-IN (12 SHOTS) 1.28 (MARCH 20, 1995) 2. GV/SV VARIOUS OF VALENTINO FASHION SHOW - MODELS IN TAILORED TROUSER SUITS WITH FITTED JACKETS/ TAILORED SKIRT SUITS WITH TAILORED JACKETS AND LONG SKIRTS /MODEL IN SLINKY LONG RED SATIN EVENING DRESS. (10 SHOTS) 2.48 3. SV DESIGNER VALENTINO WALKING ONTO STAGE TO APPLAUSE FROM MODELS AND AUDIENCE, MEDIA 3.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 4th April 1995 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City:
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA5TJQJXXXUPWQ1GEFOG9DSK7JF
  • Story Text: Yves Saint Laurent's timeless classics scored at the Paris fashion shows on Tuesday (March 21) closing a commercial ready-to-wear season that focused on the demands of the American market.

    With the U.S. economy on its way to recovery, Paris designers are catering to its buyers, showing familiar, wearable clothes for a clientele known for its traditional tastes.

    Black, black and more black was Saint Laurent's approach to winter wear on this first day of spring, with plenty of his sexy black "smokings", tuxedos that revolutionised dress habits in the 1960s and showed that women can look elegant in masculine clothes.

    "I love the smokings," said actress Catherine Deneuve, a long-time friend and client of the designer. Hers is now the face for his new line of skincare products.

    "They are so comfortable, so dependable. I keep them for years, you can always mix them with other things." With sexy black velvet numbers as a base, Saint Laurent puffed out balloon sleeves, sashed the torso in a diagonal flash of pink duchesse, or inflated shimmering taffeta hemlines.

    For high-society hostesses holding low-key dinners, there were rippling leopard-print satins wrapped and tacked at the hip, and for women out on the town, elongated velvet busters over bubble skirts in fuschia or aqua dropped low on the waist.

    Ruched skirts like 16th century bucacaneer's pants appeared under curvy little jackets or were metamorphosed into a little black riding suit with a short satin train that drew applause from a partisan audience.

    Evening wear was almost always black, simple dresses slashed high in front or velvet suits sometimes encrusted with fake jewels or a little bolero over a gold lace T-shirt top above sashed short pants.

    Fellow fashion designer Sonia Rykiel said the clothes were beautiful, very constructed, and elegant but funny too.' Just right, very 'now' with lots of nice little touches.', she said.

    Valentino's show on Monday (March 20) was criticised for lagging behind fashion trends.

    Daywear skirts were narrow and over the knee with either short boxy jackets or crisp fitted spencers and nubby wool coats. At times Chanel-type bouclette boleros came over mohair skirts.

    Sometimes, Valentino took a crack at something new and hit a false note as with elongated knit or bouclette bodies over dropped satin bubble skirts, making models seem like little girls in oversized dresses.

    For a more liquid silhouette, he flared satin skirts, covered them with lace and paired them with lurex knit tops or streamed chiffon scarfing from shiny burnished pyjamas.

    Karen Mulder modelled a striking dove-coloured satin evening gown - the most successful of a series with puzzling spiral breast cups - while the best of the little black dresses were bias-cut bustiers of velvet.


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