December, 2008

Hermes Womenswear Designer Jean Paul Gaultier

The Current/Elliot trend is not just trickling down to our favorite celebs, but possibly even to our favorite old school designers as well. Is the House of Hermès, which is well over 100 years old, trying to save their pennies and pony up on market trends, as the “It” bag heads “Out”?  With a runway rounded up by Jean Paul Gaultier himself and a supermodel crew, the looks were definitely reminiscent of a Clint Eastwood film, fringe and hats included.

It’s not a typical Boyfriend jean…it is certainly a cleaner look than the creased, sometimes torn and faded moments that we’ve seen as of late—the cuff wider, the leg slimmer too. Calling their inspiration more “equestrian” and “desert” than male, the explanation is appropriate, given the Paris label’s humble beginnings as a saddle maker.

The line received lots of laud. I think when you’ve got Stephanie Seymour and Naomi Campbell on the runway, there is no way reviews could be poor. Although the collection was gorgeous and iconic—JPG is a genius, no doubt—I’m just not sure that I’m giving our designers all too many points for originality lately. I mean, didn’t Marc Jacobs basically knock out those exact high-waister’s for Louis Vuitton too? Not saying who was the first…but you know…

Check it out…

Hermes 2009 Spring RTW Denim Looks