JEAN PAUL GAULTIER SPING 2013

 YULIA KHALAPANOVA (OUI)

OMG, Kiss just walked in! First time ever at a fashion show. No, wait. It's just looky-likeys. That's not Gene. Or Paul. And that other guy's ass is way too big.

 GINTA LAPINA (WOMEN)

Anyway, ersatz Kiss still caused a frisson when they parked their ample behinds in the front row of the Gaultier show today, letting the world know that what was about to follow wasn't going to be run of the mill.

 SIGRID AGREN (ELITE)

"An homage to all the pop stars of the eighties," proclaimed the show notes and, given that Gaultier dressed the pop queen of them all in her finest hour, expectations ran about as high as they've run for a Gaultier show in a good decade or so. 

 FRIDA GUSTAVSSON (IMG)

Did he disappoint? Um, the show was a fabulous cabaret; the clothes were, in many cases, an impressively accurate redaction of the style of the original performers. But the relevance for now? Well, given that no one in their right mind is going to step out into the street in a one-leg Ziggy Stardust jumpsuit or a little sheer something from the Blonde Ambition tour, the fancy-dress element was a little marginalizing. 

 MILAGROS SCHMOLL (NATHALIE)

Gaultier's tribute to the eighties opened with Grace Jones, stepping straight off the Nightclubbing album cover in variations of the designer's tuxedo looks. Then came Hannelore Knuts as Annie Lennox in her "Sweet Dreams" incarnation, or, in actuality, a pinstriped Gaultier pantsuit.

 MARIA KASHLEVA (NATHALIE)

 Next, Madonna, and that iconic cone bra attached to a black pencil skirt. So far, so true to Gaultier's own design sensibility. But when Karlie Kloss stepped out as Boy George, a meta disconnect kicked in and the show never really recovered as a coherent fashion statement. It continued to thrive, however, as an entertainment. 

 ANAIS POULIOT (ELITE)

There were some gorgeous and witty pieces—the Orientalism of a pleated A-line bustier gown, the trompe l'oeil printed denims, the black raffia sheath—but the fashion was subsumed by the concept. It peaked—or troughed—with the ABBA bit.

 LAIS RIBEIRO (OUI)

Within seconds, Karlie Kloss was trolling the catwalk in a barely-there metallic blue outfit that unwittingly conveyed the notion of things falling apart.

 YASMIN WARSAME (IMG)

The Euro-disco legend Amanda Lear was thevedette of the finale. Her appearance thrilled the locals but left everyone else vaguely perplexed. In a way, a perfect metaphor for the collection: the familiar and the incomprehensible, meeting but not matching.

 ANAIS MALI (ELITE)

 AYMELINE VALADE (WOMEN)

 FRANZI MUELLER (IMG)

BY TIM BLANKS

 YULIA KHALAPANOVA (OUI)

STYLE.COM

MILAGROS SCHMOLL (NATHALIE)

Badgley Mischka Fall 2009 Ready to Wear.

Giedre Dukavskaite

"The beat goes on," said Mark Badgley backstage after today's show.

Anne Vyalitsyna

"It never makes sense to do something that we're not about."

Milagros Schmoll

What Badgley and his design partner, James Mischka, are about, recession or no, is great-looking dresses with a healthy dose of straight-up glamour—speaking of which, they are currently hard at work on two Oscar gowns.

Alyona Osmanova

For all that, though, they kicked things off in a quietly minimal manner, sending out a group of smart all-black day looks.

Hyoni Kang

Some of these came from their lower-priced Platinum collection, which the duo went on to mix in throughout, because, noted Mischka, "that's how women shop."

Georgina Stojilkovic

Of course, the wattage was soon amped up. On the brighter end of the spectrum: a liquid-gold velvet that fell into a seductive low-necked cowl; eye-popping satins; and a slinky allover-sequin column, surely headed for a chanteuse near you.

Sessilee Lopez

An asymmetrical frock with a sideways drape ending in a chunk of ruffles was too tricky, but overall this was a solid collection.

Lakshmi Menon

Strongest, in fact, were looks with a modicum of austerity, like a one-shoulder, smoke-hued gown on Bruna Tenorio.

Behati Prinsloo

With its strategic flutter of ruffles, it was easily the most elegant thing around.

Anastasija Kondratjeva

Alexandra Tomlinson

Flavia De Oliveira

Laura Blokhina

Heloise Guerin

Bruna Tenorio

Lakshmi Menon

Georgina Stojilkovic

Behati Prinsloo

Sessilee Lopez

Giedre Dukavskaite

Anne Vyalitsyna

Milagros Schmoll

Alyona Osmanova

Flavia De Oliveira

Hyoni Kang

Anastasija Kondratjeva

Laura Blokhina

Alexandra Tomlinson

Heloise Guerin

Bruna Tenorio

Lakshmi Menon

Georgina Stojilkovic

Sessilee Lopez

Mark Badgley and James Mischka

Alexis Mabille Fall 2009 Couture.

Hanna Rundlof (MARILYN)

Alexis Mabille is the young contender at Paris couture—a new talent with a romantic touch, a French sensibility, plenty of skill at his fingertips, and a refreshing way of thinking about merging old ways with new.

Bojana Reljic (IMG)

For Fall, he said he started by imagining a girl waking from a languorous night of dreams tangled in her bedclothes.

Kelli Lumi (MAJOR)

Well, she comes from a very nice home, this one.

Skye Stracke (VIVA)

Apparently, she sleeps on exquisite white Swiss lace-edged linen pillowcases, shell-pink silken sheets, and luxuriously hand-worked cotton coverlets, which were variously cut into everything from fragile dresses to scallop-edged peacoats to drapey tuxedos to simple togas with a beautiful flow about them.

Alina Ilie (IMG)

If that sounds like high-flown concept, Mabille's knack is that he's able to take the precious materials of couture fabrics—weightless organdy, guipure, and elaborate broderie anglaise—and treat them with a degree of reality that defuses theoretical grandeur.

Jourdana Phillips (SLIDES)

"I wanted it to look loose and casual-fitting, so she can wear things with the attitude of pulling on a T-shirt," he said. "I tried to play with simple graphic shapes, so everything floats. She's not such a girly-girl."

Jules Mordovets (IMG)

The collection also demonstrates an ambitious range—Mabille can turn out structured cocktail bustier dresses for ingenues as well as smart tailoring and chic evening suits for sophisticates.

Siri Crafoord (VIVA)

The show could've benefited from a tighter edit, but that's forgivable from a designer who's still stretching his wings. Credit to him for developing a signature, and for the pragmatic focus that underpins his enterprise.

Samantha Rayner (NATHALIE)

"It's not just a question of having fun. I have couture customers, but I'm also offering ready-to-wear options alongside these things," he said. "I want to build a business."

Daria Strokous (IMG)

He's certainly come a long way from being pigeonholed as the guy who does cute things with bows and bow ties. Now the bows are the basis of a large collection of bags, jewelry, and accessories—and are still evident in the satin sashes and shoe decorations sprinkled through the runway collection. But to judge from the growing accomplishment of this show, Mabille's set to go a lot further still.

Angelika Kocheva (MARILYN)

Maria Kashleva (NATHALIE)

Yana Karpova (ELITE)

Morgane Dubled (VIVA)

Alexandra Agoston (NEXT)

Viviane Orth (IMG)

Madeleine Blomberg (NATHALIE)

Milagros Schmoll (NATHALIE)

Shu Pei Qin (NEXT)

Myrthe Mabille

Kori Richardson (IMG)

Diana Gärtner (VIVA)

Kelli Lumi (MAJOR)

Alina Ilie (IMG)

Liu Wen (MARILYN)

Hanna Rundlof (MARILYN)

Skye Stracke (VIVA)

Bojana Reljic (IMG)

Siri Crafoord (VIVA)

Daria Strokous (IMG)

Jourdana Phillips (SLIDES)

Jules Mordovets (IMG)

Yana Karpova (ELITE)

Angelika Kocheva (MARILYN)

Viviane Orth (IMG)

Maria Kashleva (NATHALIE)

Myrthe Mabille

Alexandra Agoston (NEXT)

Shu Pei Qin (NEXT)

Diana Gärtner (VIVA)

Madeleine Blomberg (NATHALIE)

Morgane Dubled (VIVA)

Samantha Rayner (NATHALIE)

Kori Richardson (IMG)

Liu Wen (MARILYN)

Milagros Schmoll (NATHALIE)

Alexis Mabille