Paul Hardy - fall/winter 2005
There is an image that Hardy toys with and tweaks until it makes his collection sing sombrely with period moodiness-the reserved, perhaps war-era sophisto whose sensuality is intensely reserved and expressed though slouchy but tasteful wool sweaters, expressing muted enthusiasm within a palette of amber.
A woman who wears fur for warmth and not strictly for glamour. She is both worldly and world-weary, and is not afraid to wear a pair of charcoal pants whose cuffs are suspended with unusual lift by invisible marionette strings.
Outstanding women’s ready-to-wear pieces include a sweeping, crinkled white satin dinner coat with rabbit fur detailing, a raw-seamed salt-and-pepper skirt, and any of the fur shrugs that embody both runway gloss as well as a more primal and functional aesthetic. A gauzy chiffon top with fur sleeves and boat neck cut preserves some of the typical Hardy austerity while a dimpled sangria and tangerine skirt spices up the picture. The houndstooth check and incorrigible plaids conform to nothing but the designer’s uncannily bang-on whims of what fall should look like.
The inimitable Calgarian also serves a bit of sizzle with the steak. The poofy fur wraparounds are glitzed up and just made for the camera, while the A-line quilted jacquard skirts demand as much attention as the lurid lace nether-wear.
Daniel Cox, Fashion Editor
Marek Wlazlo, Photographer
