Dolls Eye View: Paris F/W '19 Trends: Part II

Strap on those seat belts, me and the girls have gone a little bit off the beaten path!!! Paris is not only about about beauty and the woman, it's also about creative experimentation.

Gender Bender

In the 1960's it was called "Unisex," a single look worn by men and women alike. By the 1980's when Japanese designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakuba arrived on scene, the same man/woman concept was translated into a more exotic, "cerebral" look and tagged "androgynous." Fast forward to today...we're in a "fluid" wave where men and women swap styles depending on the moment and the mood. Look for silhouettes that have the structure of a man's suit jacket mixed with the fluid lines of a dress. What's interesting here is that you can make a few changes that can adapt to both the girls and the dude dolls!

For example, take a look at this Alexander McQueen suit. We see both the masculine and feminine elements in the same garment. On the left is Zoe in her version of this suit. On the left is Kim. We kept most of the main features but took a few liberties with the collar the taffeta drape on the front. Kim's suit can be worn with or without a shirt.

Aliens Amongst Us

This is not the wildest of the catwalk circus. Just a few things that actually work when you remove most of the hi-jinks!!! The proportions are a little bit off, layering is quirky and the mix of fabrics and patterns, a wee bit....bohemian. Think of it as "Fun with Fashion that break all rules. But before you close the door on this....here's a hint: change the proportions and the accessories for some really nice (and wearable) clothes!

Essentially Natasha is wearing a traditional evening dress with an asymmetrical hemline showing off a flash of thigh. (I made this quickly by crushing a bit of taffeta and tacking in place.) What sets this look into the new millennium is her metallic tights and, in Natasha's case, her aluminum foil head gear! Take away all the tinsel....you got a classic red carpet gown!

Panting for More

In the last report, I said that you will need to make at least a new jacket for your doll to keep her in style for next Fall. Add a pair of trousers to that list as well! Pants come in all sizes and shapes. The skinnies are still around, but you should set your sights to wider trousers and even perhaps...a pair of bell bottoms. One thing to note: from top to bottom, it's a total (polished) look.

Royal Flush

This is a color story. Peaking out from all of the greys, blacks and assorted neutrals is a pop of color, from time to time. In Paris we noticed quite a few looks drenched in royal blue! You have a wide range of fabrics--from knits to velvet and silk!

Carmelia couldn't resist this pantsuit. We made it out of jersey. A flutter of bias cut ruffles flutters around and down her one shouldered top which is belted over a pair of straight cut pants. Though you could make this as a jumpsuit, I decided it would be easier and faster to make it in two pieces (top plus pants with belt). The flounces on Camelia's version, by the way, were created by cutting circles which are slashed, stretched then applied to the shoulder line.

Autumn Leaves

There's another color palette in store for next fall. Its inspiration comes from nature itself. Think autumn leaves after the first frost when the trees are ablaze in rich colors of the season. These warm and inviting tones are absorbed all day long straight into evening wear. 

Animal Instincts

Animal prints are the new neutrals so each season we are likely so see clothes with fabric inspired by our feline friends. And there are many ways to wear these ferocious patterns and prints. When fabric shopping, look for metallics embossed with scales, abstract versions of spotted cats. Whether slightly over sized or right on the mark, there is no wrong way to wear them!

For Jourdan we made a micro-mini wrap dress worn and tossed a tuxedo blazer over her shoulders. Her thigh high boots give her a touch of bad girl glam.

Don't be limited to using only one print per garment. Feel free to mix and match and put together unexpected combinations of patterns. Here, Chrystele has fun with a lace trimmed leopard printed poncho tossed over the shoulders of a glitzy sheath dress.

Because we don't see the actual dress underneath the poncho, I took the liberty to make my own design. Since I liked the idea of something bling-bling that would contrast the spotted poncho, I chose a width of 4-inch (10cm) trim which I use on the wrong side! Here's a closeup of the bronze/blue dress Chrystele is wearing underneath. The necklace and the embroidered Barbie boots give it a luxurious tropical vibe.

She's on Her "A-Game"

Fit and flare...a throwback to the 1950's and early 60's silhouettes, is welcomed back this year. This time around you'll find this classic look cut from all sorts of materials from leather and wool to silk.

Here's another Dior. This time it's a dress that takes its que from an old fashioned school girl. Margot's dress is really in three parts. The "sweater" is a funnel neck top cut from a thin 2-way stretch knit. The dress itself is really in two parts--a corset top and a full, gathered skirt belted over everything. Most wools are too thick for this silhouette. So here, I used silk which has the look of herringbone but falls more fluid over Margot's body!  

Goddess

Tall, statuesque, this is the simplest way to go for the glam in a season where everything is pared down to the essentials.
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Ruffled!

Of course, there are exceptions. Take these girly-girl ruffled dresses, for example. Like a whipped creamed filled creme puff it floats over dolly's body like a cloud. We do, however, like the idea of pairing ruffles with more sober silhouettes that allow a whisper of delicious curves drift beyond its borders. 

The girls went in search for Toni Maticevski who normally shows during Paris Fashion Week. We didn't see him on Vogue's roundup, so we headed to his website to see what he had been up to. I don't know if he has dropped out of the "fashion week rat race" to do his own thing. But we did find lots of new things to love including this dress. For Sybille's dress we used a fine grade of wedding tulle, cut into irregular squares which are attached to a strapless sheath foundation. As you can see...Sybille's dress is more "perky." We thought of dipping the dress in hot water to calm things down, but then decided to leave the dress in its fairy-tale like dimensions.

In Memory of Mr. Karl Lagerfeld

The Fall/Winter 2019 Chanel collection is the last creative endeavor of this industry icon. We don't know what the future brings for Chanel without Karl Lagerfeld's watchful eye, but we are thankful for the 35 wonderful years of incredible fashion he brought to the catwalk. Dorian, my FR model who normally gets first pick of our Dolly Chanel creations, insisted I make one more garment from this season which is pictured above.

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