French Chic: Who Does It Best

In a battle between long-standing fashion house Celine and queen of shabby chic Isabel Marant it’s impossible to say who will come out on top of the French fashion agenda… Or is it?

Isabel Marant is key for young, slumber-wear, and a popular choice among some of the more cutting edge bloggers and celebrities. Perhaps it is so cutting edge because it doesn’t immediately arrest the eye – the unassuming silhouettes, simply-shaped garments, and often monochrome colours mean that Isabel Marant clothing looks different on each wearer, and is easily teamed with other designers’ garments. It breaks away from stereotypical French chic, and puts comfort back into fashion. When compared with the Celine Spring Summer 2012 collection, Marant is taking a small, but obvious step away from the traditional essence of French design:

Celine’s Spring Summer RTW collection sports a similar comfort and
loose silhouette, but the evidence of strict tailoring still shines forth. Even when comparing the styling for these collections, there is a small but obvious difference. All models wear their hair loose, but Isabel Marant’s long back-combed locks give an almost surf-appeal, whilst Celine’s hair is parted harshly and combed neatly to the head.

I still have a lot of admiration for the Celine collection, but I’m beginning to think that perhaps Isabel Marant will be the one to pave the way for a new French fashion stereotype. This designer is making a name for herself, worn by such a diverse number of celebrities as fashion’s favourite blogger, Rumi Neely, actress Reese Witherspoon, and musician Miley Cyrus. Both the young and the iconic are sporting this new type of Parisian chic, and I think it will be one to stick.