Going to a showroom in Pais is an experience. Having done the bulk of my fashion reporting at runway shows, going to the showroom has given me the opportunity to see collections up close. You can see every wrinkle in the fabric. And you can determine if something is TRULY handstiched. One also gets a chance to learn from the designer, or someone close to him, what makes each piece special.
Since this is the best way to get an education, I wonder why showrooms are so selective over who they let in to see the collection. Journalists know about them as well as boutique owners and maybe the very savvy shoppers, but showrooms would be a good way to teach people about fashion. They may lessen the disconnect between fashion and the consumer. Just a thought.
Dries Van Noten has a beautiful showroom. The aura of exclusivity, however, could not be duplicated in stores. And who know that picking collections could be so intense?
I spent about the first hour and half with Joan and Ellen as we went through every piece in the studio. I couldn't believe that floral pleated dresses were back, but they did feel new, surprisingly. My favorites were the blong sleeved black crepe silk dresses and I loved th colors. Florals in blues and green were georgus and the detailing on the collar of a black-capsleeved dress was quite interesting. Sweaters were in the basement. (They looked so fashionably warm) Round-toed shoes- some really high, some with a simple wedge. Some looked like spectators in funky browns and blacks. They were all on the second floor. This place was massive.
But then I had to go, it was time for Joan and Ellen to write their orders and the company is very persnickety about journalists watching that scene. It probably has something to do with noting the wholesale prices, but who knows. It seems the more upscale the boutique, the weirder they are about the press, anyway. (Things that make you go, hmmmm...) I guess I'll have to wait until late summer to see what's in the stores. But even I am not going to rush summer for the sake of fashion.
