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Christian Lacroix

By Ruth Doherty on Thursday 24 January 2008

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Marie Claire Fashion: Lacroix Couture S/S 2008

Never was a designer's background and personal influences so tangible in their creations as Christian Lacroix. His spring/summer 2008 couture collection, with its riotous array of colour, fused with lavish fabrics, embroidery and detailing, could be a picture-book detailing his early life.

And it's a real page-turner. With all the fun of the fair - and workmanship, attention to detail and downright perfection that couture demands - Lacroix sent down Provençal and gypsy-informed pieces that didn't so much as wow the audience with their craftsmanship but, more aptly, blew them away. The real genius behind the collection? Lacriox's inimitable knack of making his fiddly, exquisitely-made mix of detailed outfits look like effortless exuberance.

Ever-present was a nod to the yearly carnivals he visited in Arles, where women would don their brightest clothes and mix vintage dresses with lace, modern heels and hats. Circus-like oversized polka dot pants were overlayed by embroidered lace tops, and vivid scarves; fashion-forward gingham-print, bow-embellished platforms sat on the toes of every model, mixed with everything from chic, floral-lace coat dresses, to an out-there burnt orange coat with multi-coloured chunky pom-pom adornments.

Everything was about exaggeration and a celebration of variety: feathers, ruffles, ruching, lace, silk, ribbon, embroidery, appliquéd flowers. You name it, it was there. And unapologetically so. Sleeves, too, were puffed and voluminous - an ode to his Eighties signature style - and, particularly when teamed with a puffball dress and an oversized polka-dot print, made for a dramatic dimension.

Lacroix's critics suggest that his creations should stick to the stage and, certainly, his early aspirations to become a costumer designer still shine through. But this is haute couture, and Lacroix's dizzying detail and finite finishes makes him, surely, one of its masters.

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