Horror Coiffeur - Charlie Le Mindu Spring 2013

A lesser-known designer made a spooky impact at the Paris couture shows this week... Charlie Le Mindu was inspired by women who "scare him", citing muses like Nina Hagen and Lee Aaron.

He created dramatic dresses made from human hair.  The effect recalled femme fatales of years past as well as striking dominatrix ladies of contemporary times.

What do you think of this collection?
Photos from nowfashion.com and Giovanni Giannoni

Zombie Boy, Lady Gaga Haunt Mugler Fall 2011

Lady Gaga’s longtime fashion collaborator Nicholas Formichetti was appointed creative director to the Mugler brand and brought it back to the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week.

The show was a mix of Gothic fetish evolved from the slick spirit of classic Mugler.  The backdrop was a stage of pointed cathedral arches.  Formichetti showed alien-like exaggerated shoulders, a signature look of Lady Gaga’s.  Latex-shiny fabrics, dramatic cut-outs and transparent garments that left nothing to the imagination somehow managed to look chic (over trashy).  The muse, Gaga, brought much of the paparazzi with her as she debuted new singles and strutted her body down the runway.  Also haunting the runway was performance artist “Zombie Boy”, famous for corpse-like tattoos added to the other-worldly theme…

  

Yohji Yamamoto Spring 2011

Gotta love that certain fashion designers don't conform to the expected rules of Spring fashion.  Avant-garde Yohji Yamamoto presented a mostly black collection mixing textures and irregular silhouettes.  He added a few pop neon colors in wildly printed tights and underpinnings.  

Mr. Yamamoto, a guitarist on the side, wanted to mesh the psychedelic with the couture.  There were rubber corsets for a rock and roll touch with chiffons and layered handkerchief hems.

Photos by Gianni Giannoni

Jean Paul Gaultier - Spring 2010 Haute Couture

Paris fashion's still-reigning bad boy, Jean Paul Gaultier wowed guests at his recent runway show again. This collection, inspired by gauchos, Aztecs and birds of paradise showed elaborately embellished headdresses, sculpted gowns and mixed media. Corsets woven from leathers, hair, satin and what looked like jungle grasses mixed with draped hair, fronds and embroidered sombreros.