un moment avec Lee
Paris, France
Flight after flight of stairs, red carpeted and then bare spirals, we arrived at the space for Yiqing Yin’s 2013 Fall Haute Couture presentation. After last season’s inspiring show, it was the anticipation for what this season would bring that carried us up the last few steps. What ensued was certainly a further development into a naturalistic aesthetic and exploration of mineral textures and organic materials. Diverging a bit from the last collection, she did more experimentation with wispy silks and color.
Linen was pressed and stretched to create irregular surface that stood out away from the body, and in folds and pleats that followed the shapes the body’s musculature. Introducing color, a tie-dyed silk halter was knotted down the back in thick, heavy rope from the nape of the neck to the lower back. Laser cut motifs in a bright red dress and another red piece with a triangular scarf tied around a wide horizontal headpiece were stand-alone pieces in the continuity of the rest of the show. Even the iridescent silks, in metallic tones with undertones of electric blue or green, were in keeping with the mineral and multicolor themes.
As the wedding dress came down the runway, I found myself thinking: “That’s it?” Just then a pleated washed silk gown with many tiers in length, and in panels draping over the arms broke the silence. Woven and tied and looped into the faded black were colorful pieces in blue and green creating a focal point at the core of the body, and draping down from under panels of black down the legs as if emerging from inside. Next, a handkerchief effect in smoky blue and soft grey was a more classic silhouette. Ending on a high note, Yin’s final pieces were amazing multicolored feather sculptures, one body sculpting, and the other a crinoline cage structure, the skeleton taking on its own organic form from the waist up, curling up and around the torso. These final looks will certainly leave a lasting impression, maybe even enough to carry us up more stairs next season.
- Lee Anderson, Parisian Correspondent
Designer website: www.YiqingYin.com
What we’ve said: Haute Couture Fall 2013
