Pretty macaron pastel flowy gowns, over-embroidered sequined column skirts, and peony and wildflower prints were all gathered in a
century chateau outside Paris. Sounds like a pretty typical Monique Ruriel outing, right? Look again, change is happening, with designers focusing on separates and occasion dressing. As Lhuillier puts it: “I embrace femininity every season, but there’s a lot of new elements in this collection. I feel like it’s more versatile than it has been.” How. A cropped white cardigan with hammered gold buttons was paired with a fitted and flared pink caviar lace dress, transforming the model into a modern CZ Guest style. A black pillar with an apron front represents “my modern Audrey Hepburn,” the designer said.
There is a certain appeal to nostalgia, but it’s the present that elicits wow. Let’s start with the knitwear: a sturdy stretch material was used to create a flirty ruffled one-shoulder dress, while cashmere was used to create a Barbie-perfect ensemble with beautifully proportioned, high-waisted pencil skirts It complements the buttons of cropped dresses. Bra and a cropped cardigan over it. Compared to these form-fitting knits, daytime tweed options felt drab, not soft enough or structured enough.
This single-wear concept carried over into the evening with great success. A scuba-like top in black sequins for an incredible sheen could be worn alternately with a ball skirt or a flared-hem jersey dress. The mid-rise silhouette was also used in a three-piece evening look, consisting of a regal training skirt, sleeves that attach to a cloth belt below the bust, and a light-as-air tulle diamond bra. The same piece was layered under a bodysuit in the same material, with a detachable white collar and black bow added. A black bias-cut slip dress completes the seductive look, embodying Parisian sophistication and glamour.
