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Spirit of Jimi Hendrix
12/03/2002 16:53 - (SA)
Joelle Diderich
Paris - British designer Phoebe Philo went rooting through her boyfriend's wardrobe, on Tuesday showing a ready-to-wear collection of military coats and embroidered velvet jackets fit for guitar legend Jimi Hendrix.
A black cashmere coat with military details was paired with brown velvet flares, while a nip-waisted grey pinstripe jacket was embellished with gold piping at the seams.
Black military braiding also featured on jeans, drawing attention to the small of the back in a sexy but subtle way.
Guests gathered at the Petit Palais, an ornate exhibition space built for the 1900 World's Fair, for the display on the sixth day of Paris fashion week, which was also due to feature shows by Valentino and Chanel.
Philo, who took over at Chloe following the departure of fellow Briton Stella McCartney to set up her own label, showed a strong grip on the label's trademark mix of masculine tailoring with ultra-feminine floaty tops.
Narrow, knee-length coats came in richly embroidered black, grey or chocolate brown velvet. A powdery pink chiffon blouse featured splashes of bright red and yellow at the shoulders and a heavy silver glitter trim.
In a flight of fancy, Philo also delved into the archives of Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, reflecting the organic costume designs of Russian illustrator Leon Bakst in a stunning quilted satin coat padded in the back to resemble giant insect's wings.
"I like to think of the Chloe woman as a really elegant psychedelic - mixing together prints, colours and textures and topping off her eclectic look with a pair of antique Cartier diamond drop earrings," the designer said in a statement.
"She's a free spirit, but incredibly refined."
Philo wowed fashion editors with her debut last season, prompting some to speculate that McCartney's former assistant was the real talent at Chloe all along.
Rumours of a split between the two women, who used to be best friends, added grist to the mill. However, McCartney's assured display on Monday proved that their collaboration was just that - a joint effort.
Indeed, the tables may have turned on Philo. Some members of the audience saw a troubling resemblance between her designs and those of her former boss.
One fashion editor struggled to describe the show to a colleague over the phone. "It was very much like ... umm ... Stella," he ended up conceding.
- Reuters
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South Africa
