Summer comes to Paris with Kenzo, Kayrouz and Celine

PARIS, Sept 30, 2012 (AFP) - Bare feet, flip flops, sand, sun and tropical heat: Celine, Kenzo and Rabih Kayrouz brought a generous dose of summer to the Paris catwalks on Sunday, on day six of Paris Fashion Week.

Lebanon's Kayrouz dubbed his latest ready-to-wear line simply "Summertime", sending out his models barefoot down a sandy runway, to the sound of crashing waves and Janice Joplin's classic 1960s hymn to the summer season.

Sheltering from the sun under wide-brimmed hats, an elegant gold band circling the head, his models looked cool and comfortable in fluid tunic dresses of black or taupe silk, some slit discretely on the spine to let in the breeze.

For the hottest days, the designer imagined light chiffon dresses cut on the knee in front and curving down to a simple, fluttering train at the back.

And for summer days in town, he tucked silk tank tops into roomy cotton pants with a drawstring waist, either sand-coloured bermuda short versions, or long pants in luminous mustard yellow.

Earlier at Kenzo, the US design duo Carol Lim and Humberto Leon set the scene with a giant video of jungle imagery, superimposed with prints inspired by it.

As for their men's line unveiled in the summer, the pair drew inspiration from a recent trip to the rainforests of southeast Asia, bringing back a look they billed as "urban safari".

With watertight wading boots and safari jackets, a handful of looks were cut to protect you from a tropical shower. But most looked like what you would slip into for a stroll once the rain had stopped beating down.

Like a long green and black dress, its billowing skirt slit high at the front, tied with loose criss-crossed straps at the back.

Or a short beige dress, neckline pulled down low over the shoulders, cinched waist and bouffant little skirt.

Leopard prints -- jazzed up for the occasion in bright orange or green -- came on a short dress or a long one with spaghetti straps, while tigers winked out from behind leaf jungle prints.

Later at Celine -- which like Kenzo is part of the LVMH luxury stable -- the British designer Phoebe Philo had some fun with her footwear, sending out models in flip flops with fluffy fur-lined soles, like a cheeky footnote to the look.

Frayed hems, on skirts or dresses, added to the relaxed feel of the sharp-tailored collection, like on an ample-skirted black dress, cut very low at the back, with a triangle of resille at the chest.

A leather bolero jacket was matched with rustic linen pants for a summery daytime look while for evening, Philo adorned her slender silhouettes with twisted drapes of silk, like a pale lilac stole worn above black pants.by Emma Charlton