Brave is the designer who decides to show his comeback collection under the stormy skies of an inclement Paris evening. Well, not strictly outside, but in the courtyard of the École des Beaux-Arts' Cour du Mûrier. Even braver is adding a snow machine that generates a storm of artificial sleet over the audience and the models. Perhaps Michel Klein—the hardy soul who made these decisions—felt that he had to come up with a show to remember. In which case, best start with the clothes.
Klein's collection was representative of a problem that has cropped up more than a few times this week:a few good looks lurking under the weight of a heavy-handed, generally old-fashioned approach to clothes. His shrunken cardigan worn with a full skirt, or a jacket with tattered and frayed mousseline panels on the shoulder, made a convincing case for his return. It's harder to imagine under what circumstances a woman would ever need—or want—a black georgette flared jumpsuit. And if any more evidence of Klein's bravery was needed, then it was his use of scarabs as a decorative leitmotif. They came swarming over an ivory silk kimono or printed onto the back of a Le Smoking, with more crawling up the sides of the pant legs. Creepy-crawly chic: That's one tough sell.
