CELINE
With our first season of Celine already well underway and a huge hit with both our local and international clientele, we were looking forward to our Celine appointment. This season the collection continues with its effortlessly chic ethos; in particular, embroidered knits and shirts were a favourite this season. Also I love the iconic cashmere knits that will arrive in June in classic Navy and Grey.
The Celine Belt bags have become a world-wide hit and next season you can expect to see this bag offered in two sizes in a fabulous range of colours.
One of Celine’s most iconic shoe styles is the Bam Bam. We will be receiving sandals and boots in these phenomenal shoes.
We are also excited to announce that Parlour X will be receiving a selection of Celine jewellery, including their iconic knot bracelets!
CHLOE
This season Clare Waight Keller is inspired by the music of Kate Bush and David Bowie, a powerful influence resonating throughout her 70’s-heavy collection!
Although there are many classic Chloe pieces throughout the collection – like this lace embroidered blouse – this pre-fall collection is intensely womanly, with Chloe’s ‘Lolita’ notably absent.
I love this Aubrey Beardsley-esque georgette printed dress!
Some of our Chloe selections. Clare Waight Keller mixes themes of gypsy romanticism and urbane androgynous glam in printed jacquard lurex shift-style dresses, an over-sized tasselled felt coat and knit skirts and dresses with tonal and contrast lace embroidery.
I am very excited for next season’s Drew bags as this will be the first season they offer silver hardware! We will be receiving the Drew bags in the small, medium and large sizes in mottled grey, abstract white, chestnut cream, plaid red and classic black.
ISABEL MARANT ETOILE
The pre-fall Etoile collection is inspired by Edie Sedgwick and was fun and atypically light for a winter collection.
The Sedgwick influence shines through in some of our favourite pieces from the collection; cropped wool knits, silk camisole-style dresses and skirts, and a beautiful embroidered silk story.
The next BIG Isabel Marant sneaker will be the Bart sneaker and we will be receiving this style in Leopard Pony Skin and White Leather.
We will also be receiving Isabel Marant’s eternal favourite, the Bobby Sneakers.
ISABEL MARANT MAINLINE
This season’s Isabel Marant mainline collection is inspired by Yves Saint Laurent muse, Loulou de Falaise. Falaise’s Moroccan years inspires Isabel's shapes and silhouettes this season and gypsy-embroidered dresses and tops dominated the collection. Continuing the seasonal theme, there will be a new Isabel Marant signature ethnic print introduced that will feature on dresses, blouses and tunics.
David Bowie’s androgynous 70’s glam also inspires sections of the pre-fall collection with high-waist lurex pants and snake printed ankle boots. We will be receiving the new styles of Isabel Marant boots – the Grover and Naelle Boot – in printed snake skin and suede next season.
ISSEY MIYAKE BAO BAO
The Bao Bao appointment this season did not disappoint and was filled with bright and wonderful colours and new exciting shapes.
We will be receiving a selection of matte and patent leather bags in a variety of colours including the highly sought-after platinum silver and gold, red, black and white!
PROENZA SCHOULER
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez wanted to inject consistency into their Proenza Schouler pre-fall collection so they have re-visited their back catalogue and Spring favourites and the result is a strong, commercial offering for Fall.
We love the cropped argyle sweaters, jersey-knitted pleated skirts, plaid polo neck sleeveless tops and a long cable-knit sweater dress.
We of course could not go past the iconic t-shirts that have been such a hit in-store already. Along with the classic striped long-sleeve and short-sleeve t-shirts, we will also be receiving these styles in plain black and white.
Viewing the collection in the Proenza Schouler showroom in the Marais.
JEROME DREYFUSS
The Jerome Dreyfuss AW15 collection is Navajo-inspired with fringing and shearling wool featuring on many of the bags. Next season the classic Bobi and Igor bags will be available in a new textured black leather as well as variations of goatskin and suede in a subtle colour palette.
How cute are the new Eliot bags? They will be available in grey felt, printed snake skin leather and goatskin suede.
BALMAIN
With a huge social media presence and celebrity cult-following, Balmain has expanded its customer base, and with it the pre-fall collection.
Olivier Rousteing’s pre-fall collection offers the expected hard-edged glamour that is synonymous with Balmain, however with a touch of softness. The softness can be found in the classic Balmain blazers in khaki and navy hues, luxurious silk shirts with subtle gold Balmain detailing and georgette ruffled dresses and skirts.
Inside the showroom viewing the bright and bold collection.
STELLA MCCARTNEY
Every pre-collection season Stella McCartney and Valentino only open their showrooms in Milan which means that Rebel and I spend one huge day in Milan to buy both collections. Our day started at 5am where we flew from Paris to Milan and spent the entire day in appointments before heading back on the last flight to Paris at 8pm that night. It is a massive and very busy day, however it is well worth the effort for what these two collections offer in their pre-collection appointments.
Our first appointment in Milan was Stella McCartney. McCartney's vision for her pre-fall collection is simple – McCartney wants woman to look at her clothing as a staple for their wardrobe that at the same time would be more than that. Stella herself put it very plainly, “ I want to say something with my clothes”. The result is a pre-collection that speaks very loudly and we love everything it has to offer.
This season’s signature Stella prints are the metallic wildcat print (available in both a black and white print) and the psychedelic weeping willow print - both of which are designed in collaboration with English illustrator Will Sweeney. These prints feature on everything from pencil skirts, silk shirts, pyjama-style pants and dresses.
In the showroom wearing a Stella McCarntney woollen top with faux-fur patches from the pre-fall collection.
Fake leopard fur dominates the classic Fallabella bag shapes this season and continue with clutches and pouches all bearing Stella Pre-AW15 Wild Cat.
I am also excited to welcome the Stella McCartney shoe range to Parlour X. Rebel is in love with these platform brogues which were a huge hit in past seasons and have been re-introduced as a carry-through style.
VALENTINO
After our Stella McCartney appointment we headed straight across town to our Valentino appointment in their magnificent headquarters in central Milan.
The Valentino Ready-To-Wear showroom in Milan is spread over 8 different rooms, all of which house one ‘story’ within each season’s collection. Here is a shot from inside the Camou-garden showroom.
This season Maria Grazia Chuiri and Pierpaolo Piccioli collaborate with British textile designer Celia Birtwell on floral prints and embroideries inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s La Primavera. Chuiri and Piccioli want their pre-fall collection to represent a “fantastic future” and by all accounts the Valentino future is very bright! We are looking forward to receiving this brocade skirt and cape next season…
The attention to detail on the collection is inspiring and beautiful.
Next season will be our first receiving the Valentino Noir Rockstuds in the ballerina, kitten heel and high heel styles.
ALAIA
The Alaia appointment is held every season in their showroom behind the Alaia store in the Marais. The pre-fall collection sees classic Alaia silhouettes re-visited in various fabrics and textures including velour and velvet.
A sneaky shot of the collection from inside the Alaia showroom. This season we ordered ruffle-textured skirts and dresses in classic black and white, and a fabulous collared sleeveless dress in Navy.
After we took this photo, Mr Alaia and Naomi Campbell came into the showroom to view the pre-fall collection. Naomi selected some of her favourite pieces before hurrying out to walk the couture runway show for Jean Paul Gaultier!
BALENCIAGA
Balenciaga’s pre-fall collection is a strongly commercial offering from Alexander Wang and the Balenciaga creative team. There is a strong military theme throughout the collection and brass button embellishments featured on various knit dresses, jackets and skirts.
Alexander Wang’s street aesthetic also shines through in this collection with tailored jackets, skirts and pants featuring a spray paint jacquard that offers a fusion of Wang’s street style origins with the classic silhouettes of Cristobal Balenciaga.
Continuing with the military theme, the Balenciaga shoes from this season feature brass stud detailing on stiletto-heeled boots and brogues.
SAINT LAURENT
It is widely known that Hedi Slimane’s affinity for the music scene knows no bounds (Joni Mitchell has just featured in his latest campaign) and this love affair filters into the pre-fall Saint Laurent collection.
This season Slimane is inspired by a project he has just launched called “Paris Sessions” which supports a young generation of Parisian musicians. Skinny jeans, high-heeled biker boots, gauloise-style knitted stripes and the classic Saint Laurent tuxedos dominate the collection this season and it is obvious that Slimane is paying homage to his musician crowd.
As well as the high-heeled biker boots that feature in the men’s runway show, we will also be receiving the iconic ‘Jane’ heels in Black and Patent nude!
Saint Laurent has introduced new bag styles this season and our favourite is the Camera style bags. These cross-body bags will be available in a range of colours and are touted to be the next IT bag from Saint Laurent…
Now back to Paris for the runway collections…
