FASHION'S GARDEN OF DELIGHTS, THE PARIS COUTURE (c) By Polly Guerin

Karl Lagerfeld's Fantasy Garden Spring 2015 Collection

Paris haute couture takes a walk in the garden of fantastic delights for Spring 2015. Karl Lagerfeld, the master creator for Chanel, fashioned and Eden of Haute, a beautiful paradise filled with mammoth flowers in a bucolic stark white garden filled with stupendous floral and fauna that only our wildest dreams could imagine. Here's the scoop!!!
   The Grand Palais was the site of this extravaganza, which in a way, eclipsed even the fashions that paraded around the garden on a circular stage. Yet, as the models walked the white carpet a most extraordinary thing occurred. The flowers cranked open in full bloom to reveal the most enchanting colors---orange, yellow, pink and red. And then, the fashions replicated in those colors, came forth embellished with intricate laces, embroidered tweeds, plastered linens. Floral appliques emerged, such as deep borders on an orange coat, on the bottom of a long tunic and fashioned as cuffs on the sleeves of a jacket, while breathtaking sheer skirts with floral border hems sashayed around the runway
   Some critics say that such showmanship often overshadows the actual fashions on review, but Lagerfeld did not disappoint with youthful silhouettes that had fashionista appeal.
   Then, too, there was Raf Simons for Dior, who went on a different curve of interest and fused a

Raf Simons for Dior Spring 2015 Collection

powerful, couture collection, drawing on past eras in a modern revivalist extravaganza---evoking the Fifties' romance, Sixties' experimentation and the wild freedom of the Seventies It was a heady mix of familiar themes, even miss-matched motifs on a body suit---dots, stripes, floral, and geometric motifs juxtaposed together in an eye-popping print. .In sharp contrast, a bright yellow demure three-quarter coat, with neat school-girl point collar made a stunning classic entry.
   Ditto for Schiaparelli posted fifteen teenage girls from the choir, Les Cherubims, who stood in windows ringing the show and sang out with sweet voices to Ravel's Bolero. Thus paying homage to the legendary designer, Elsa Schiaparelli, who in her halcyon days partnered with the surrealist Salvador Dali and even Jean Cocteau in creating some of her avant garde fabrics and embroideries.. Elsa's famed trademark, shocking pink, drenched the show, with archive-inspired

Ditto for Schiaparelli's Green Silk Gown

prints with mirrors and colorful hearts on jumpsuits and femme fatale tuxedos. Other embellishments that Elsa would adore included ribbon embroideries, cascading stars and tiny feather applique. The dramatic entrance of a show-stopper green silk evening gown was printed with blue swirling ribbons and floating white lady hands, a la Schiaparelli, while other dresses came forth in other quirky prints and intricate embroideries.
For more on the Paris shows: see WWD.com/runway.
Ta Ta Darlings!!! I remember it well, haute couture is the quintessential fashion theater and the best show in Paris.  Fan mail welcome at pollytalknyc@gmail.com.  Visit Polly's Blogs on www.pollytalk.com and click on the Blog of your interest, just click the link  listed in the left hand column  for Blogs on amazing women, remarkable men and Polly's poetry.