In a day that descended into dirty teeming rainy, Paris was treated to four memorable collection by five non-French designers: American Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough’s debut at Loewe, Harris Reed at Nina Ricci, Sarah Burton at Givenchy and Victoria Beckham.

Loewe: The American friends debut with brio

Another day, another debut. This time it was the turn of the American Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough with a tight, cohesive modernist statement for the house of Loewe that was a considerable hit.

By any standards, this was tricky debut, seeing as they followed Jonathan Anderson, who had made Loewe into the hottest show in Paris before departing for Dior, where he debuted on Wednesday.
 
It turned out that Jack and Lazaro were up to the test, creating a polished primary-color collection, whose key was the 1989 painting by Ellsworth Kelly – “Yellow Panel with Red Curve“, in canary yellow and crimson – that graced the entrance to the show.

Prior to joining Loewe, Jack and Lazaro founded and led Proenza Schouler in New York for two decades, and the collection was very much a meeting of Manhattan and Madrid. Though its key element was the experimental use of leather, the main DNA of this Spanish label. 

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Sending out ragged suede in some great new jeans, tops or dashing jerkins, or cutting stiff dramatic chess piece style jackets and blazers in hyper iron rawhide, made in glaringly bright shiny primary leather – cobalt blue, dazzling orange, forest green. Detailing with several versions of the brand logo, from curly to block script.
 
Leather made in multiple layers almost like a malleable plywood, “or a layered cake,” smiled Jack backstage.  There were super flowing dresses, or asymmetrical gowns in this leaf-like leather in silhouettes, which those of us who attended Proenza Schouler shows will not have been unfamiliar with.
 
They also dreamed up another eye-popping new suede, which looked like toweling fabric – cut into wrap around mini dresses that had great appeal. And raised smiles with a couple of leather bags cut to look like a bunch of cockles.
 

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“I think right now there is so much sadness in the world, that we need color, light, optimism and positivity,” added Lazaro, in huddle of editors, as waiters ferried by trays of champagne.
 
For their entrance into Loewe, the duo created an all-white show space, a looming tent inside Cité Université, a giant campus on the southern ring road of Paris. Guests sat on angle benches made in ceramic tiles, the ceiling cut with slanted factory windows.
 
The cast – maintaining the house’s reputation for a fresh cabine of models – striding energetically around, more like New York career gals than pampered Parisians. All backed up by an energetic soundtrack by ace DJ Frédéric Sanchez that mashed up “Dame Eso” by John Heaven and “Black Naga” by Pachanga Boys.
 
Before the famously popular duo took their bow to a prolonged standing ovation. 
 

Nina Ricci: Foxy ladies

There is a learning curve in fashion when comes to working in Paris. Harris Reed is apparently on a rapid upward march.

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That’s the incontrovertible evidence from his latest show for the house of Nina Ricci, a fully-fledged tour of Rock Olympia, with goddesses, groovy grand dames and the odd well-heeled groupie.
 
Presented inside France’s most famous university – La Sorbonne – the collection was smartly juxtaposed to the cut-stone, grand marble and gilded ironwork.
 
Reed certainly knows how to drive a Paris atelier and on his own terms. Kicking off this show with a babe Contessa in black silk jacquard spinning top look, the blouse cut deep, deep gorge, the dress diaphanous. Indeed, practically every blouse was open to the navel.

He wants Ricci gals next spring to turn heads in bronze satin pants suits; or a great series of mannish sequinned jackets in hues of burnt coffee of cobalt blue. Skirts came flippy and finished at the knee with lace inserts, always anchored in big python boots with brass heels.
 

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For evening, he favors sequin or velvet dressing gowns worn open over semi-sheer chiffon polkadot cocktails or pants. One regretted not seeing more of his tougher tailoring, like a superb frack finished with frogging. 
 
In a tight show, Harris got a decent burst of applause from his audience – half of him whom looked like influencers. Reed’s range is certainly narrow, but what he does, he does well. Plus, after a debut show that seemed like a fashion pastiche, this collection had oodles of seductive chic. He has been learning.
 

Givenchy: Sexy drama and more

There is a new refined sense of seduction sweeping through fashion now. If you want it dark and diabolical, then Givenchy is your house of choice next spring.

Working lots of tough, chic black leather, Givenchy’s creative director Sarah Burton whipped up some real sizzle: from batwing leotards and little black dresses to wicked gents’ coat dresses cut décolleté. 
 
Moving into rock goddess moments with a dynamic black rawhide flight jacket with double zip trim. Plus, she had men and women in the audience audibly go “whoarrrr” when a truly voluptuous new bombshell Emeline Hoarau steamed by in black pocketed leather skirt and push-up bra. The temperature seemed to increase several degrees after that passage. A runway-star-is-born moment everyone suddenly realized they badly needed.
 
“Peeling back the structure of tailoring to reveal skin and a sense of lightness and ease – and then exploring the female vocabulary of dress and undress,” explained Sarah in her program note. 
 

Her tailoring was crisp and clean: statuesque white fine wool double-breasted pants suits or the perfect slimline corporate suit. Plus, Burton played with the single most famous Givenchy item, the Bettina blouse, though with shirting. A snappy officer’s version with pocket and exaggerated shoulders worn by Eva Herzigová, or an Asian beauty in a wonderfully sculpted oversized aristo shirt.
 
And like in her assured debut in March, the show was packed with great accessories and costume jewelry. Broken star or oversized pearl necklaces; graphic oblong earrings; or studded bracelets.
 
Her footwear was erratic, impressing with some great leather pumps covered in leather petals, but confusing with the overuse of patent leather mops as shoes.

However, at times it felt as if Burton was trying too hard with a half-dozen pleated chiffon and fishnet concoctions – exposing underwear underneath and the models’ figures. Plus, one cavewoman bra and skirt combo was nothing short of unfathomable. Looks several of the cast clearly didn’t love.
 
A slightly erratic performance yes, yet one with great gusto. Staged before Napoleon’s tomb in a pristine white circular room, in contrast to the harsh gray rain that greeted guests as they exited.
 

Victoria Beckham: Crusin’ insouciantly in the cloister

Victoria Beckham is on a roll. Next Thursday her three-part documentary debuts on Netflix. This Friday she staged a slinky, sexy and sophisticated collection inside the cloisters of Val-de-Grâce

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Sacred with the profane, in a collection which showed her growing as a designer. The key to the collection were the very feminine dresses – especially a mid-section of slip dresses. Cunningly constructed with hidden inner rims; trimmed with lace or gathered up with crochet strips. Granting the dresses a novel asymmetry and making them swing ever so slightly and sensually.

“I think having a teenage daughter, I am attracted to a certain naivety and I think we see that throughout this collection,” said Beckham.
 
With rain teeming outside, DJ Michel Gaubert galvanized the mood by kicking off the show with the theme music from “Knight Ridder”, and the cast all seemed to respond with plenty of strut.

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Victoria also upped the ante technically – showing a trio of sculpted tops covered in hand sprayed on rooster feathers. While her tailoring was also impeccable, starring overlong trousers and mannish double-breasted, worn with T-shirts.
 
“I live in T-shirts myself and am always looking for the perfect hot vest. Which is why we should them with suits,” said Victoria, in a post-show backstage chat.
 
Seconds later husband David, politely interrupted, “Darling,” he said, passing her a glass of red wine. Both then drank in happy celebration.
 
Once the target of mocking UK tabloid headlines as her fashion house slipped into the red during growing pains, Beckham could be forgiven for schadenfreude today. Her house has enjoyed double digit growth this past decade, guided by French luxe management partners, comfortably breaking though annual sales of £100 million. 

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Expect the Netflix series to significantly boost revenues, especially in Victoria’s beauty business, which the house had the chutzpah and brains to develop themselves without a license.
 
“Making the documentary has made me really think about who I am as a designer. To question what we want to do and continually stretch ourselves as a team. And that is probably a very good thing,” she concluded.