The Changing Paris Fashion Scene

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31153, 1 September 1966, Page 10

The Changing Paris Fashion Scene

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter)

PARIS.

The new Paris silhouette ranges from the forward-looking space age school and modern art, to trends skipping from the 1930 s back to the nineteenth century and even to the Middle Ages.

But, whether backward or forward, no element of the Paris couture remains stationary, not even the length of skirts. Hemlines swing from the briefest mini-skirts, complete with lace edged “minipetticoats” at Pierre Cardin, to Christian Dior’s new midcalf length coats. Length is a matter of choice; and most designers choose to keep skirts above the knees. Marc Bohan, of Dior, retains the current conservative mid-kneecap length for street wear—and contrast to his ultra-long coats and “guillotine” hemlines for late day wear. Critics generally feel that Bohan’s timing for a return to long hemlines is premature. One professional summed it up like this: “Dropping the length of coats over short dresses is like betting on all the horses in the race.” Art artists, architecture and literature are all prevalent inspirations among the couturiers. At the precise moment when “pop” art appeared to be waning, Yves Saint Laurent replaced his well-known Mondrian look by Miro. And for good measure, he threw in Picasso and Salvador Dali as well. Thus, he exchanges the square line and bright, cubic patch of Mondrian, for round apples representing the sun and crescent moon, or Miro’s undulating lines. Fabrics of his own design suggest Picasso, and Dali appears in the division of the front of dresses into sections of contrasting colour. Saint Laurent and Bohan share a trend to retrospection Saint Laurent looks back to produce 19th century fashions reminiscent of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” and “Little Lord. Fauntleroy”

trouser suits for dining at home. Bohan’s “tin soldier” coats, worn with tambourines slanted over one brow, recall Czarist Russia. A more recent glance over the shoulder produces the bias-cut fashions of the 1930 s seen in languorous crepe dresses for formal wear. At the same time, modern “artists” like Paco Rabanne and Nguyen Khanh are designing inter-planetary fashions in hitherto untried media such as aluminium sheeVng and moulded breast plaUs made of heavy metal. Pierre Cardin combines the modern age while harking back to the Middle Ages with touches from the Crusader’s costumes, armoured coat of mail embroideries, and hoods which conceal the entire face except for peep-holes for eyes and nose. Beside the extremes of modern and mediaeval, stand a timeless, conservative group, headed by Chanel, Pierre Balmain, Nina Ricci, Castillo and Jeanne Lanvin, who recognise maturity as well as extreme youth. The “nothing” dress with studied lack of detail is still the number one silhouette everywhere. It has a nonexistent waistline, or high-set yoke bodice above a flared Aline or slim line skirt. It is still essentially the sift, the chemise, or the trapeze, cut on the bias at Nina Ricci with oblique seams, and featured in pop art versions by Saint Laurent. It has a trumpet shaped skirt at Patou and acquires little sleeves in the Dior collection. Cardin continues portholes and cut-outs, based on jumper styles over ribbed turtle-neck sweaters. Even his futuristic bride wears a mini-skirt and sweater beneath the traditional floor length white tulle veil.