Minimidimaxi Magazine

For Muse spring/summer 2003, Christian Chenail has produced perhaps his most disaffected collection. Chenail is to fashion what Glen Gould is to music, a master of variations on a theme, and this season is no exception. But this time it is Muse as interpreted through cultural motif, as opposed to cultural motif as interpreted though Muse. This time we get to see the real Muse, in all its variations, at once singular and poignantly equivocal.

The collection takes its cues from desert culture, and that is partly responsible for the unlikely undressing of the Muse silhouette. Gone is the sculpted, bourgeois look of collections past. The tumbling, white muslin sash is given centre stage, as is the hooded cotton top with cropped sleeves. The pairing of wantonly endowed muslin culottes with a prim, loop-buttoned ascot jacket with Nehru collar portrays a dual femininity, at once urban and nomadic. Though some flagrant colours are worked into the palette, such as wine, tangerine and indigo, earth tones come up in spades, at least more than we expect to see in a Muse collection. The mahogany peau-de-soie high-waist dress is the conventional alternative to the more experimental silhouettes, which include the pairing of a cream, single-armed sheer gown with a sleeveless fuchsia satin top. A leaf-embroidered set in pink adds a touch of whimsy to the sultry collection.

The collection is thoroughly accessorized, with scarves and hip satchels cropping up here and there. But the stronger pieces are undoubtedly those whose inspired silhouettes defy the need for such superfluous additions.

Daniel Cox, Fashion Editor
Marek Wlazlo, Photographer