Jasmin Santanen’s Fall/Winter-2010/11 Collection

Finnish born-Parisian designer Jasmin Santanen unveiled her elegant ready-to-wear Fall-Winter collection to a well-heeled crowd Wednesday afternoon, on the second to last day of a whirlwind Fashion Week in Paris.

Santanen’s collection, “Illustrious Seduction,” was showcased in one of the more ornate halls of the Westin Hotel off Rue de Rivoli, an appropriate venue for the show with its frescoed ceilings and grandiose chandeliers.

Velvet, tulle, and mousseline all featured prominently throughout the show served as an homage to Edgar Degas and his fascination with ballet, which inspired the collection. Santanen’s choice of delicate fabrics lent an ethereal quality to many of the graceful pieces on display as the models pouted their way down the catwalk.

With a jazzy beat blaring in over the stereo, the show had high-energy from the start. Santanen’s “lynx,” a gorgeous grey velvet, was featured in several outfits early on. The audience got their first glimpse of Santanen’s elegant sensibility with a short “lynx” cape, draped over a white cotton popeline shirt, paired with black velvet cigarette pants.

Lynx velvet soon popped up again in the form of a longer coat alongside a short dress of black shiny and matt stretch wool.

Transparent fabrics - accents and details of tulle, chiffon, mousseline, even a delicate stretched woolen tunic - imbued many of the later outfits with a delicate lightness and graceful silhouette.

Several high-waisted skirts along with a few high collars, all characterized by striking clean lines, reminded the audience of the sort of discipline that goes into the craft of ballet- not to mention modeling. A plunging neckline or two and a high slit in an evening dress kept things interesting.

Santanen, previously named as one of ten designers to look out for by Style.com, is quickly developing a passionate following. If Wednesday’s round of applause means anything, she’ll be a fixture at fashion week for years to come.

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by Trafton Kenney
Photo by Mateja Smigoc
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