Chloé Spring 2017 - Runway Review

A breath of fresh spring air blew into Paris, courtesy the Chloé spring show. While channeling the seafaring life, British designer Clare Waight Keller delivered one of her strongest collections to date for the iconic French fashion house, ripe with feminine '70s styles and an insouciance all her own.

The romantic renaissance that has moved through the spring collections was on full display here. Loose silk silhouettes were as airy and bright as the luminous Grand Palais venue in which the show was staged. Breezy and mostly voluminous, Waight Keller packed a powerful punch with a wardrobe largely centered on a carefree life: culotte jumpsuits, '70s bells sleeves and voluminous floor sweeping silk dresses that fanned out dramatically at the hem captured that bohemian je ne sais quoi.

Nautical nods abounded—naval flag motifs, sailor collars, cords—juxtaposing nicely with the optical plays of lines and an interlocking hoop print that gave this collection a big bounce in its step. Yet Waight Keller’s motivation resided in her want to capture, according to her show notes, “the effortless simplicity of French style” via “a play of boyish attitude and romantic details.”

The pretty sportif collection also had a decidedly contemporary twist in the finale dresses she delivered. While there were relatively humble (translation: plain) pieces to be had, frills largely dominated the assortment in the form of floaty trapeze tiers, lace and giant floral appliques—including one in Cerulean blue whose athletic cutout sensually exposed the midriff.