Paris Fashion Week: Hussein Chalayan S/S2012

The clothes are always perfectly executed He’s been off the catwalk for a couple of seasons and, back to his old tricks for spring/summer 2012, Hussein Chalayan wasn’t going to miss a minute of his show – in fact he stayed on the stage during

the entire event.
A chamber choir struck up as the lights revealed Hussein himself dressed as a waiter, complete with napkin over arm, and he handed each model a Champagne glass as she walked to the cameras. She’d then pose, walk to the back of the stage as if she were perusing the images forming on the back drop of the catwalk  - and then as she sipped from her glass, her own gullett, or her face, was projected onto the screen up there via an in-glass camera. Clever.

It’s always about so much more than just clothes, determinedly so – and sometimes darkly so. The two hooded figures in black standing beside Chalayan were inexplicable but spooky – and yet the clothes themselves are always perfectly executed, each piece proof that this designer never does anything by halves.

It began with silk blazers in tan or black or white – classic shapes that melted to one fluid lapel pouring off one side, or suddenly long at the back - then long camisole dresses featured computer-generated landscape prints layered onto each other for extra movement.

Stiff tunic tops cut high at the back and long at the front came over silk shorts or full skirts of peach or pale yellow, then a shot of silver came via sexy metallic shorts, and then floppy summer hats turned out to be the end of a skirt hem that had been folded up and outwards to make an extra, voluminous layer behind.

Noel Stewart’s hooded visors gave a futuristic, fierce element to dresses with bouncy skirts that were light-hearted and lovely - as if Hussein never wants us to forget how serious he is about his craft, despite how pretty some of the clothes can be – and then black leather embroidered with bright red, orange and white silk added a touch of the homespun trend that we’ve seen elsewhere.

As he walked off with his two henchmen - and then suddenly diverted to take his bow for us, Hussein gave a little smile of acknowledgement. Yes he takes this seriously, but he doesn’t mind us enjoying it a little with him.