A New Breath of Artistry ... Vionnet FW2014 Collection

Woollen felt is pliable, hence why it is the preferred material of choice for milliners. Yet oftentimes, it tends to look stiff when crafted into clothes.

However, the creative team of revived Parisian maison Vionnet, led by Creative Director cum owner Goga Ashkenazi, somehow made this material to appear absolutely fluid and rests perfectly on the contours of the body. 

Case in point: The opening piece, which is an asymmetrically panelled dress with contrasting felt tulip appliqué worn by model Mariacarla Boscano.

Flexibility aside, the liberal application of graphic panelling in contrasting colours, mostly present on dresses and jackets, brings forth the illusion of a perfect feminine silhouette.   

Like the opening dress, tulip serves as the leitmotif of the collection, appearing in the forms of ambiguous flower appliqués or hand-drawn illustration, as seen on a shield-like frontal of a cropped top in light green.

The design of the coats and skirts are akin to lush paper folds while the corseted bodices are made of fabrics cut in rectangular shape but with various dimensions and layered – or pasted - on top of each other.  

For silhouettes, the nuances are mixed – conforming to the feminine outline and comfortable; relaxed but obviously not too slouchy.

As a maison known for its innovative invention of all time – the bias cut – as well as its liberal use of draping technique, Ashkenazi and her team incorporated these storied techniques that are now considered as the maison’s design DNA into the realisation of the collection.

For example, the knitted sweaters feature bias-cut hemming that curves upward while dresses are draped to flatter all types of body silhouettes. Pleats are also abounding in this collection, amplified by the application of volume, shape and pleating pattern.

For the working palette, a series of contrasting colours are used to bring out a striking balance and appeal where grey, in many muted permutations, is set against either the shade of green apple or light blue; black and pinstripe too.

Material-wise, woollen felt dominates the Vionnet’s fall/winter collection in muted shades of grey.

Other luxurious and lithe fabrics used in this collection possess various sheen, opacity and texture such as chiffon, leather and also fur. 

In the accessories department, the look is minimal. Handbags and clutches are constructed in leather with symmetrical perfection and rounded edges; booties are designed with draping touch, resembling a soft and warming pair of socks; and while sandals are crafted in flurry, divergent coloured furs.

Vionnet fall/winter collection will be available at selected fine department stores and multi-brand boutiques worldwide this autumn. 

*Images by Style.com 

Vionnet is available at Joyce (106, Canton Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong); Global Link (13 Hai Ba Trung street, Trang Tien Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam)