Guy Laroche’s homage to Mireille Darc

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Sep 27, 2017

Mireille Darc only died last month, but her memory wafted through the debut collection of a new talent at Guy Laroche.
 

Darc was the muse of the original Guy Laroche, who developed a famed fashion look – the drop-dead naughty dress with the revealing bottom. Famed for finishing half way down her bum, Darc wore the long black dress in The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe.
 
An idea that rippled through the debut show by Richard René, who made a concise, albeit too literal, collection for the house. He cut jumpsuits and saucy columns with backs so open that one saw plenty of buttock on this show on rue Francois 1er.

“The inspiration for the collection is the most faithful client and friend of Guy Laroche,” said René. His entire cast wore straight blond wigs, and huge black shades, just like Mireille at the height of her fame.
 
René is a perfectly competent cutter, his snazzy body-hugging cocktails looked sharp – perhaps too much so – as did his sleek leather pant suits, which looked designed to be worn after midnight. Since he mimicked the one-legged dress for which the founder was famous. And made Glamorama white fox fur coats suitable for a movie opening.
Made in entirely in black and white, with one white silk singlet that read Dark.
 
All very professional, but too respectful of the house’s past. Designers should respect a house’s DNA, but also rip it up a little if they ever want to make a brand their own.