Schiaparelli Lives: See Christian Lacroix’s Glorious, Puffy Gowns

Christian Lacroix's long awaited tribute to Elsa Schiaparelli, created in honor of her house's revival, opened yesterday at the museum Les Arts Décoratifs. Just as we'd hoped, it was crammed full of huge bows, sculpted taffeta ruffles, and swooping feathered hats. Because the pieces won't be sold or, in most cases, even worn by humans, they were free to defy practicality, like true objets d'art. See that fur-trimmed, bat-winged veil, for instance, or this crop top made of what looks like gorilla hair, or those parachute pants that could literally be used as a parachute. As Lacroix promised, the designs are more like costumes than actual clothes.

But much as we love Lacroix, he is not here to stay — this collection was a one-off deal, and the partnership won't continue. Schiaparelli's long-term creative director has yet to be officially announced by owner Diego Della Valle, but various journalists, including Cathy Horyn and Vogue's Hamish Bowles, have reiterated with some certainty that it'll be Marco Zanini, who currently helms Rochas. Perhaps the paperwork has yet to be finalized? Then again, the house has been moving verrry slowly with this revival process, Italian lunch hour style, so who knows when we'll find out.

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Christian Lacroix Is Back! What to Expect From His Couture Collection

The couture shows are next week! And kicking them off will be Christian Lacroix, king of all things tulle and puffy and bow-covered, who returns to the schedule for the first time after his label's sad implosion in 2009. He's in charge of reviving the long-dormant House of Schiaparelli, which is currently owned by Tod's president Diego Della Valle, who bought the trademark seven years ago. The 18-piece collection, presented on mannequins in Les Arts Decoratifs, is a one-off for Lacroix; he'll then step aside to make way for a permanent creative director, rumored to be Rochas's Marco Zanini.

Since closing his bankrupt business (the photo above is from his last couture show), Lacroix has busied himself with a myriad of design projects, including luxury hotel decorations and knickknacks for the Louvre's gift shops. This collection will reflect his flair for theatrics and historical appropriation. He tells WWD, "It’s as if it was a musical about Schiaparelli, and I’m in charge of the costumes," adding that he shares many tastes with the late designer, whose name recognition got a boost from last year's Schiaparelli-and-Prada-themed Met Gala:

Fun! Although it is a little sad that he's not using live models. Let's not forget this is the man who used to put Carla Bruni in outfits like this:

Anyway, expect the unexpected! WWD adds that the collection won't be sold, which means it's purely for spectacle's sake — the best kind of couture presentation, in other words.

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Christian Louboutin's Beloved Red Soles Get Messy

In celebration of Christian Louboutin's new in-store "salon" at Saks, the brand made this video of the designer gleefully applying fresh paint to his trademark red soles, which then leave a trail of scarlet footprints through New York and Paris. If only all our tracks could look so tidy.

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