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PARIS, France — When Vivienne Westwood gave over the Gold Label collection to her partner Andreas Kronthaler, the change of the guard signalled that a wild streak of change was afoot. Today, Kronthaler continued the kind of theatrics he's indulged since his appointment in 2016 (past gags include a modelling cameo by Dame Viv herself), this time deploying a trio of thrashing Go-Go dancers whose performance, many will attest, may very well have stolen the show.
Down a catwalk planted with up-ended mannequin legs, the collection itself continued the kind of character-driven narrative that Westwood is built on, as diverse bodies owned a chaos of ruffled prom gowns, buttoned 'habit' hoods, floral and flowing hair prints, and wonky tailoring. Kronthaler, ever the bowerbird, mined the archives for pieces like the lace-up platform shoes (1994! Iconic!), yet front row whispers suggested unsolicited borrowings from much younger London designers too. Dangerous territory in the days of @diet_prada, n'est pas?
