For the third consecutive year in Cannes, from January 5th to 14th, top luxury ready-to-wear brands present their Spring-Summer 2006 collections at the Palais des Festivals. Three hundred businesses representing all the major brands will offer you a privileged welcome. And a privileged welcome is exactly what I felt.
Friday evening, 6:30 PM. Arrival in front of THE Palais des Festivals of the City of Cannes. Who hasn’t dreamed of climbing those famous steps in front of the world’s elite? Well, that’s what happened, minus the elite, for me and my companion for the evening (whom I particularly want to thank for her knowledge of fashion: so a big thank you to you, my dear Emilie).
So here we are at the bottom of the steps. We struck our best poses and confidently began our ascent of the staircase that would lead us to the entrance of a place so often seen on our small television screens. Luck found us superb seats which allowed me to bring back this lovely photo album. But let’s talk a bit about the event itself. Launched in 2003, this festival allows the Azurean elite to discover collections from top fashion designers, such as Christian Lacroix, Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo, Jiki, and Escada. This showcase organized by the merchants of Cannes always attracts a large crowd, and this is still the case for this new edition.
Friday evening saw Valentino’s collection parade before my amazed eyes. Comfortably seated in the globally famous red chairs, I was able to appreciate a high-quality show. With models more beautiful one than the other, the show unfolded in an ideal atmosphere, punctuated by occasional applause for the designs that most captured the audience’s attention. With ‘Diamonds and Pearls’ by Prince and the classic ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by Shirley Bassey on the soundtrack—the tone was set. As usual, the Italian designer focused on offering chic outfits, but with a touch of freshness and brightness. Colors like vanilla, pink, blue, yellow, pistachio, and light grey toned down the formal aspect of the collection while allowing the designer to offer ensembles worthy of the greatest interest. Of course, couture includes embroideries, which adorned skirts, boleros, and grand evening dresses: topazes, jet stones, crystals, rhinestones, and sequins, with a harvest of tassels that sometimes gave a torero look to a jacket or a dress. And what about that pearly dress with its matching small bag? Just one word: magnificent…
As for the fashion shows, they ran the gamut from monochrome black or white passages, showcasing the craftsmanship of the workshops, to more colorful outfits. Regardless, nearly every appearance was dreamlike for any woman. Hence, a good time was had, heralding more to come since the Shopping Cannes Festival is just beginning. Next appointment tomorrow with the presentation of the collection by Christian Lacroix.
