Christian Lacroix
PARIS, March 3, 2006
By Sarah Mower
The distance Christian Lacroix is putting between his fantastic haute couture extravaganzas and his more accessible ready-to-wear line is now, quite literally, measurable in inches—12, that is, above the knee. That describes the divide between the old image Lacroix has been sitting with since the eighties—an honored place at the table of the Ladies Who Lunch—and the one he wants now: dancing on those tabletops with the It Girls with Legs.The radically cropped lengths of his tunics, skirts and shorts—all shown with black tights and suede boots—are a plain declaration that Lacroix is out to grab a new audience. Will the girls get it? Maybe. In a season when so much somber clothing will end up hanging in stores, the rich, multi-patterned, shimmery surfaces of Lacroix's pieces could glow like a beacon in the darkness: Other than the radical crops, the man is staying true to his Anadalusian/Parisian colors.
So that no one could miss the reference to his aesthetic roots, Lacroix played a vintage video of bullfighting scenes as a backdrop, while out trotted a black-and-white scarf-print shift and coat with matching lining, a strapless paisley-print bubble dress, and a hot-pink brocade coat with a black lace overlay. The designer had worked hard to translate many of the touches of his couture here; witness the deep bands of jet-beaded Spanish embroidery in a bodice and the fur cap-sleeves set into an antiqued-gold brocade shift. As alternative partywear for girls who don't want to blend into the background, it might just catch on with today's generation the way it did with their mothers—though, thankfully this time, poufs and shoulder pads aren't involved.
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Fall 2006 Ready-to-Wear
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3.1 Phillip Lim 6267 -
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A.F. Vandevorst ADAM Akris Alberta Ferretti Alessandro Dell'Acqua Alexander McQueen Alexandre Herchcovitch Alice Roi Andrew Gn Anna Sui Ann Demeulemeester Antonio Berardi Aquascutum Araks -
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Badgley Mischka Balenciaga Basso & Brooke BCBG Max Azria Behnaz Sarafpour Bill Blass Blumarine Bottega Veneta Boudicca Brian Reyes Brioni Burberry Prorsum -
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Calvin Klein Carolina Herrera Celine Central Saint Martins Chado Ralph Rucci Chaiken Chanel Chloé Christian Dior Christian Lacroix Comme des Garçons Costello Tagliapietra Costume National -
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D&G Daryl K Derek Lam Diane von Furstenberg DKNY Dolce & Gabbana Donna Karan Doo.Ri Dries Van Noten Dsquared² -
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Elie Saab Emanuel Ungaro Emilio Pucci Emma Cook Emporio Armani Erdem Etro -
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Fendi -
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Gareth Pugh Giambattista Valli Giles Giorgio Armani Givenchy Gucci -
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Hermès Hussein Chalayan -
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J. Mendel Jasmin Shokrian Jean Paul Gaultier Jenni Kayne Jill Stuart Jil Sander John Galliano Jonathan Saunders Junya Watanabe -
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Kai Kühne Karl Lagerfeld Kenneth Cole New York Kenzo -
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Lacoste Lanvin Louis Vuitton Luca Luca Luella -
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Maison Martin Margiela Malandrino Malo Marc by Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs Marios Schwab Marni Martin Grant Matthew Williamson MaxMara Menichetti Michael Kors Missoni Miu Miu Monique Lhuillier Moschino -
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Narciso Rodriguez Nathan Jenden Naum Neil Barrett Nicolas Andreas Taralis Nina Ricci Noir -
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Oscar de la Renta -
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Paco Rabanne Paul Smith Women Peter Jensen Peter Som Phi Pollini Prada Preen Proenza Schouler -
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Wunderkind -
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Y & Kei Y-3 Yigal Azrouël Yohji Yamamoto Yves Saint Laurent -
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Zac Posen Zero + Maria Cornejo
