Globe Style picks 12 standout looks from Paris Fashion Week
So far this season, the sweater-skirt combo has appeared across myriad collections. Remember this for when you start considering your fall wardrobe in August. Take note of the way Stella McCartney dropped the waistline so that the look appears elongated yet soft and chic.Christophe Ena/The Associated Press
The dropped silhouette also played out on a sporty dress that combined a polo sweater with lace. As for the footwear: McCartney applies her vegan, environmentally conscious lifestyle to her entire brand; the chunky jagged soles on her shoes and boots were biodegradable.Christophe Ena/The Associated Press
With Bono and her father Paul looking on, she showed enveloping outerwear, each offering a distinctive statement: a solid deep violet for one, a pinstriped puffer style or another and this faded, fuzzy tartan.Christophe Ena/The Associated Press
Still, McCartney gravitates towards tailored men’s wear and returned to it with a new spin. For the final look, she smartly reworked two lapel collars into a halter neckline on an open-backed vest, which she paired with a crisp ivory trouser.Christophe Ena/The Associated Press
Giambattista Valli, one of the few designers who is also a couturier, showed a collection that when minimal on colour and intense on sumptuous texture. He showed fur close to the body and then layered with lighter, silkier fabrics as if creating the most elegant cocoon.Christophe Ena/The Associated Press
Valli is such a pro at constructing unapologetically feminine dresses for day and night that it is always interesting to see when he deviates to a tougher look.Christophe Ena/The Associated Press
When was the last time you saw such a beautifully embellished turtleneck? This was Valli’s version of sportswear.Christophe Ena/The Associated Press
Seeing how Valli married the two worlds – the precious and the practical – proved something of an “aha” moment. Clearly, he has such a firm understanding of his customers and knows they sometimes just want to wear a sparkly suit with slip-ons – the ultimate trifecta of cool, chic and comfortable.CHARLES PLATIAU/Reuters
Lydia Maurer took a complete 180 in her second collection for the house of Paco Rabanne, swapping out the flash and serving up a streamlined statement that bridged the aesthetic codes of Mods and aviation. This suit was her spin on a pilot uniform.GONZALO FUENTES/Reuters
Maurer referred directly to an old image of style icon Françoise Hardy for this mesh metal jumpsuit. Chain mail, the DNA of Paco Rabanne, appeared flocked both on outside panels to add tonal dimension and on the inside of garments to add softness. All of this bodes well for the brand.GONZALO FUENTES/Reuters
Russian designer Valentin Yudashkin interpreted the harsh winters in his homeland as a collection of dresses (there were very few pants) that turned snow and ice into extravagantly embellished dresses. This one, with its frosty icicle shoulders, looks more dangerous than black ice.BENOIT TESSIER/Reuters
The collection was at its strongest when he topped glitzy mini-dresses with comparatively restrained men’s blazers. It’s a direction he should consider pursuing as he thinks ahead to spring 2014. Maybe by that point, his icicles will have melted.BENOIT TESSIER/Reuters