Paris fashion week latest: Alber Elbaz’s elegant measures

For a/w09 he explored a forties silhouettes (seen also at Prada and Nicole Farhi), it was longer and leaner than last season’s collection and in Elbaz’s expert hands, was transformed with bias cutting into an astonishing feat of modern elegance.

A back-to-basics palette of black, slate, navy and taupe was luxed up with sprinkles of sparkle and oversized attention grabbing jewellery that had a distinctly robust and industrial edge. Beautiful fur stoles were attached to be effortlessly and elegantly thrown over the body at any time.

Elbaz successfully summed up the new way of luxury and, as he always does, snapped the whole season into focus. These were covetable dresses, blouses, skirts and coats that addressed a woman’s sartorial needs head on. And not just high end designer clothes made to last, but designs so sophisticated they will endure season after season.

As the finale dress – a black velvet column – glided down the catwalk, you could actually hear the crowd swoon.

Click here to see the show now.

By Anne- Marie Curtis

Posted 7th March 2009