Balmain

PARIS, February 24, 2008
By Nicole Phelps
"It's more hard rock and punk this season," said Christophe Decarnin backstage before the show. And as promised, Spring's haute hippie feathers, fringe, and tie-dye were replaced by an all-Billy Idol soundtrack and enough leopard-print chain mail, python-pattern denim, and crystal-embroidered lightning bolts to make you wonder if there was anything at all left on the shelves at Trash and Vaudeville. To be fair, Decarnin's creations are much finer than the East Village emporium's, but they appeal to a similar kind of chick, one with a killer body and an active nightlife.

This designer doesn't put much stock in day clothes. In a word, his show was about legs. Bare legs. But there were a few cool looks that model types could pull off reasonably well during traditional business hours. They usually involved narrow-shouldered little jackets, loose cotton tanks or tees, and skinny tuxedo pants or jeans cropped a couple of inches above moccasin-fringe ankle boots. Dhoti pants were back again, this time in a substantial leather. Four seasons in, Decarnin is building a following: Earlier incarnations of those tricky dhotis could be spotted on a number of influential editors in the front row.

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