COMPLETE COLLECTION

PARIS, July 6, 2011

By Nicole Phelps

A title like Nosferatu, dry ice pouring out from backstage—those are usually reasons for alarm, but not, it turned out, at Maxime Simoens' show. As one relieved journo put it, "No fangs." A Couture week upstart, Simoens has more of a real world than otherworldly style. In fact, only 20 percent or so of the pieces he put on his catwalk today could be defined as couture. No surprise, those were the most gothic of the lot, with neckline-trimming chandelier crystals clinking as the models walked by and gossamer capes trailing behind.

As for the rest, it was quite streamlined: Sheaths and pantsuits were cut economically, and in accordance with the show's theme, they were color-blocked in graphic black and red. One dress came with a diamond cutout over the heart. The legions of the undead would be pleased, but it was the kind of number a living and breathing male could appreciate, too. Simoens will sell a lot of those frocks.

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