YSL S/S 2011 at Paris Fashion Week

PARIS, Oct 6, 2010 (AFP) - From Antiquity to Yves Saint Laurent, here is an A to Z of highlights and trends for spring/summer 2011, seen at Paris Fashion Week which wraps up on Wednesday.

ANTIQUITY: Flat sandals and draped silk toga dresses spirited Lanvin to antique Rome, Issey Miyake also had knitted toga dresses and Alexander McQueen a majestic, simple dress in pleated white with a gold belt under the chest.

BIRTHDAYS: Kenzo rang in its 40th birthday with a magical circus show, and VIPs donned masks at a society ball to blow out 90 candles for French Vogue.

ECO-MINDED: Dresses were adorned with wheat and pheasant feathers at McQueen, Vivienne Westwood had a "buy less, buy better" mantra and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac quoted the caring-for-the-planet message of the "Little Prince".

FISH-NET TIGHTS: Seen at Emanuel Ungaro and Alexis Mabille and out of context at Jean Paul Gaultier -- as a bustier over a white blouse or above the designer's trademark powder-pink corset.

GLASSES: There were lollipop-coloured, 1950s pin-up shades at Christan Dior, space-age visors at Pierre Cardin, and a whole top pieced together from retro sunglasses at Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.

HEMLINES: Right on the knee for skirts, like at Valentino or Celine, sometimes lower at mid-calf or ankle length. Evening gowns swished and swept the floor.

IVORY: Designer after designer opened their shows with white.

KARLIE KLOSS: Sexy sailor for Dior, big-haired at a 1970s Sonia Rykiel or in 3-D prints at Gaultier, the US model headlined some of the week's most sought-after shows.

MINI-SHORTS: Sparkly silver under floaty see-through tops and petticoats, in knitted stripes or paired with sharp tailored jackets, mini-shorts were a big theme -- and nowhere more risque than at Chanel.

NINETEEN-TWENTIES: Gypsy shawls, feathers, fish-net, fur collars, crystal earrings and slicked back hair: the 1920s were in the air from John Galliano to Ungaro.

ORANGE: From Yves Saint Laurent to Kenzo, Lanvin or Dries Van Noten, paired with pink or on its own, orange was the colour of the season.

OSTRICH FEATHERS: Adorned a giant red-and-black headdress, puffed out jackets, spiced up hemlines -- or clothed a model head to toe at Chanel, in a coral dress that swept caressingly around the legs.

PLEATS: Swishing and dramatic at Lanvin, in an ivory dress at Chanel, at Jean Paul Gaultier, or in a clever dress that bounced up and down at the master of pleats Issey Mikaye.

ROCK AND ROLL: A punky, rocker's spirit shook up the runways at Balenciaga and Balmain while Yohji Yamamoto paid tribute to Jimi Hendrix and Gaultier invited Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto to open his show.

SHIRTS: Dutch duo Viktor and Rolf took a city shirt as the start point for their whole, playful collection, while mannish shirts set the tone at Dries Van Noten.

VETERAN MODELS: Chanel, Emanuel Ungaro, Balenciaga, Galliano: designers made space on the runways for veteran models, plus-sizes or street-casted unknowns, alongside waif-like regulars.

WINGS: An orange dress was entirely made from butterflies at McQueen, while Giles Deacon at Ungaro had giant flower-covered butterflies propped atop a garden-party decor.

XMAS: Economic hard times may soon be behind us, but gifts and freebies -- usually a Fashion Week staple -- were in short supply, at best a make-up kit at Chanel, or a fancy tea-saucer at Shiatzy Chen.

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YSL S/S 2011 collection at Paris Fashion Week

YVES SAINT LAURENT: Fashionistas saw tributes to the master everywhere -- from jumpsuits to reworked tuxedos at Felipe Oliveira Baptista or Chloe, where deep blue and emerald stripes also conjured Saint Laurent's Moroccan period.


By Emma Charlton