A/W13 is all about Back to School Tough Girls
The Chloé A/W 13 show at Paris Fashion Week completely fulfilled what some might see as requirements of the Chloé brand. The feminine, flirty and playful nature of the designs on the catwalk was just what the fashion-world expected to see and it didn’t disappoint. What’s more, with presentation notes for this collection, that read – “Night buses, independent spirit, bare legs, dorm rooms, bike sheds, flirting, cold nights, tough girls” – it was obvious that a trip down memory-lane was on the cards. The nostalgia of the back-to-school revival fits in perfectly with the season, and also is right on-trend, with other revivals of the ‘60s and the ‘90s making hot fashion news of late.
For this theme, Creative Director Clare Waight Keller showed us her talent, and put forth items, fabrics and ideas that were at once classic and innovative, for the school-girl look. Think: school-girl meets rebellious fashion-maven. All at once, there were satchels, capes, laced brogues, tweed, wool, blouses, jumpsuits and pinafore-esque dresses, whilst minimal make-up completed this preppy style. Not to fall short of the school-girl with a twist brief, Keller introduced a range of mixed-media into the show, with black, asymmetrically-layered mesh polka-dot skirts in black and white, and a cream shift dress and a cream top, both of which were completed with a gold-string jewelled chain-link top layer. Putting the ‘play’ into ‘playground’, these two latter, flirty looks were cleverly reminiscent of a playground fence.
The Chloé pieces stayed true to the Autumn/Winter colour-scheme as revellers were treated to classic navy, black, grey and brown hues. A crucial injection of crisp white was not only refreshing, but essential for a back-to-school wardrobe. Whilst some may say that the addition of powder blue and mint colours strayed from the brief, it was these hints of summer that evoked the true playful nature of the Chloé style.
The most striking looks of the show came in the form of a white, cropped blazer, a slouchy, striped, v-neck monochrome sweater, and a pinafore with a bright-red skirt and black braces. Other looks that made a huge impression had slightly more subtle preppy elements; black and blue striped, baggy & cropped trousers, and a white, ruffled, v-neck dress, complete with gold buttons and sheer panels.
It is obvious that as usual, these Chloé designs will be absolute sell-outs, and it is safe to say that this is one of Clare Waight Keller’s greatest successes yet.
