Cacharel (Q1770)
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French fashion house
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Cacharel |
French fashion house |
Statements
1964
founder
photographer
2008
creative director
illustrator
Three years ago, the review for Cacharel’s Spring 2016 collection ended with the suggestion that the studio might consider mining the Musée d’Orsay for floral inspiration, especially since the showroom had just relocated mere blocks from the Impressionist-laden landmark. The studio circa 2018 probably arrived at this idea themselves, but it did feel validating to see the latest collection nod to Van Gogh, Seurat, and Degas. Creative license can be risky, though. Appropriating a drawing of a dancer by Degas à la Warhol’s pattern repetition was slightly jarring at first. Then, once expectations were calibrated, it became cute, if not also camp. In the right context, the knee-length coat and slim trousers in toile could really pop.A Pointillism print interspersed with irises (singled out for their ruffled composition) was garden-party fresh for a one-shouldered chiffon dress, while the atmospheric shades of blue that washed over a pair of wide-leg pants made for an interesting alternative to denim. A dahlia motif splashed across a slim-fit suit was more redolent of pretty wallpaper than a still life, and a windbreaker covered in black-and-white floral sketches in the manner of a coloring book would have an antidepressant effect on a rainy day. From the split-back shirts to the jersey suiting, the collection offered an array of budget-friendly summery updates which would go over well among those wanting to look properly dressed but not serious. The flip side is that the treatment of the source material came off too twee. As Cacharel reorients itself towards e-commerce and redesigns its digital platform, perhaps this collection is just the beginning of further field trips to the museum with more interesting interpretations. There’s such unrealized potential here.
3 October 2018
Given how florals have played such a consistent role in the Cacharel narrative over the past 60 years—2018 marks this big milestone—it might seem hackneyed to describe the Fall collection as fresh. The difference this time: think fresh as in cool, rather than the usual garden association. Partly, such newfound edge was owing to a stronger presence of black; playing backdrop for several new prints, it forced the main accord of ocher and deep blue to appear especially vibrant, as though exposed to ultraviolet light. In broader wardrobe terms, a shrunken Perfecto, an asymmetrical tiered black dress, and wool jogging pants—indeed, all in black—were among the pieces that suggested a shift in positioning away from the brand’s ingenue mix of flowy, feminine silhouettes. Maxi skirts and spread-collar blouses still fulfilled this role, registering as sweet, albeit less relevant. Placed prints—a single flower on a sweater or a butterfly pattern across the front of a leather coat—bridged the two opposing attitudes.What’s clear is that the studio team realized it was sitting on a valuable heritage asset: the original Cacharel logo with its curvy serif typography. Running beneath a grid of purple pansies (the season’s starring flower), inserted into vents of shorts, or streaming diagonally across a knit jacquard hoodie and a leather doctor bag—part of the brand’s new foray into accessories—the motif will go over well with those too young to enjoy Cacharel’s golden years. Colorful felt caps designed by Stephen Jones nodded to baseball and equestrian uniforms. Mostly, they put a mod spin on the street-leaning looks and confirmed that Cacharel has the potential to remain current season after season without a huge degree of effort.
27 February 2018
With midday sun pouring through the skylights of Cacharel’s upper-floor showroom, the extra heat supplied an unintentionally fitting ambiance for this extra breezy, colorful collection. The design studio opted for a strong throwback to the 1960s, when the French brand was just getting started—and when silhouettes were typically leggy or eggy. But what stopped the collection from drifting too far down memory lane was its overt bid to attract millennials by reincarnating the Brigitte Bardot archetype as a sportier city gal. As the brand envisions it, she wears her nipped-waist pleated or draped dresses with tennis shoes and pairs a shrunken anemone-patterned blouson and matching baseball cap with relaxed red jeans. She is drawn to prints that feel as digitally remastered and remixed as DNCE’s version of Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy.” Her ideal version of a suit is striped, stretchy jersey that hugs her barre-class curves. Most important, she can add these pieces to her closet at prices she can probably afford.If all the bare-shoulder looks registered as late to the trend, the ruffled- or cuffed-sleeve updates made the case that the cold shoulder has not lost its cool. And given the emphasis on floaty silks and light knits, the inclusion of some double-face, egg-shaped knits in solid hues addressed the need for early-season layers. If only there were a corresponding range of sneakers picking up on some of the prints, the offering would have been complete. But the recent debut of Cacharel’s e-shop will assist their target ingenues who might be online searching for a reinterpreted babydoll dress.
26 September 2017
Cacharel’s revamped logo, a sleek serifCornamented with flowers, isn’t visible in these photos. It is fresh, streamlined, and pretty–a succinct reflection of how the French brand, founded in the 1960s, is now positioning itself as it eyes a new phase of global expansion. The Fall collection marks the second expression of this direction, which, although attributed to the collective “studio,” makes clear there’s someone different overseeing the design. Take the prints, part of Cacharel’s DNA for those too young to remember its heyday; these arctic-inspired varieties have been given a digital upgrade, rendered abstract and watery like artistic photographs, spread across solid backgrounds as cutouts, or filtered as though illuminated by the Aurora Borealis. They played out expectedly on weekday blouses and dresses, but their newness was most convincing as outerwear: inside a hood attached to a sporty wool-cashmere blouson, or as the all-over pattern of both a snap-front teddy and a quilted cropped jacket. For those whose taste falls somewhere between Erdem and Givenchy (without the budget to match), these were more satisfying than high street fashion.This was reinforced elsewhere: the quality of the double-faced coats, the nicely finished cocoon knits, and flattering silhouette of the jupes-culottes. In short, there was fine attention to detail throughout. And when the communications director pointed out the competitive pricing, the value proposition held up, too. Okay, so this wasn’t directional stuff, but that has never been Cacharel’s raison d’être. Frame it as a starter wardrobe for students or filler pieces for women a little older, and those deliberately blurred prints serve a crystal-clear purpose.
10 March 2017
The modern maiden spirit that pervaded Spring’sCacharelcollection was noticeably absent for Fall, as if a girl graduating from university had a revelation that her closet lacked grown-up clothes. It’s unclear whether this shift can be traced to the commercial side or the creative; but either way, anyone paying close attention might be tempted to conclude that Cacharel has coasted far too long without an official artistic director who could develop a consistent brand identity. Which to be clear, is not necessarily a reflection on the studio; the design team turned out more than enough smart pieces to attract the aforementioned entry-level professional in addition to women looking for well-made clothes that hover between fast and high fashion.The prints, for instance, were comparatively downplayed and drew more from Arte Povera and the work of Jannis Kounellis than the usual garden-variety blooms. Pants with thick yokes and tie accents, plus blouses with kimono sleeves, interpreted traditional Japanese details for everyday. The most successful category, however, was the coats. The brushed wool chevron versions introduced a sense of menswear ease not typical of the brand, while supple leather and rabbit fur, whether solid or color-blocked, reinforced an overall elevated image. Of course, these pieces won’t be quite as accessible as a draped wool shirt or cardigan robe (one coat will top $2,000). But smart young women will understand the importance of investing well.
2 March 2016
For several seasons, a visit to the Cacharel showroom has been prefaced with the same party line about rediscovering the brand heritage and modernizing it for today. And it’s tough to take umbrage with clothes that are intentioned, unchallenging, and, more often than not, patterned in flowers. Aside from a venue change to new, well-appointed headquarters on the Left Bank, not much has changed. Which is not necessarily a criticism. The lookbook, shot by millennial photographer Alexandra Sophie, refers to the Cacharel style as “Lady 2.0,” a catchall that neatly encompasses the signature drop-waist dresses, lace polo tops, and a novelty trench printed with pastel canaries. Indeed, the design studio continues to propose a variety of stylized florals (this time, anemones, poppies, peonies, and a vintage botanical print) alongside everyday overcoats, breezy blouses, and respectable skirts, all corresponding in proportion and palette.One update: Cacharel collaborated with Notify jeans, and the boyfriend styles offset the range of romantic blouses, from embroidered mousseline to broderie anglaise. Oh, and another: A stand-alone store in the French capital is scheduled to open sometime next year. By then perhaps we will see a bit more originality in a way that generates excitement for a deserving brand. The new office is a stone’s throw from the Musée d’Orsay, home to some of the most beautiful flower paintings ever created. Just a thought.
1 October 2015
A trio of unrelated artists provided print inspiration for Cacharel's latest offering. The "Torn Flower" motif took its cue from Lucio Fontana, who famously slashed his canvases to ponder the space inhabited by art. An enlarged face, all but blurred beyond recognition, began as a Sarah Moon portrait. A swirling Impressionist wash of blues and yellow could be traced to Cézanne. Together, they suggested that Cacharel's design team was applying a more enlightened eye to the brand, which continues to reestablish its presence in the contemporary category.Dresses represented the key offering, and the strongest among them were streamlined baby-doll and dropped-waist T-shirt styles in double crepe. Print-lined coats made up the other focus and largely favored modified masculine shapes to balance the girly spirit elsewhere.Otherwise, there was an appealing mix of distilled directional trends (cropped sweaters with widened trousers) and elevated fabrics (one standout being a mohair lace). Currently, Cacharel seems hypersensitive to pricing, and most of the outerwear will cost little more than two months' membership at a boutique gym (overall, prices will be 25 percent lower for Fall). But then a printed Fontana-style parka lined in rabbit fur and trimmed with raccoon served as confirmation that the brand is still capable of higher-end pieces. And the fact that Cacharel has yet to reclaim its cult status works in the customer's favor—you can wear one of the art prints and actually feel unique.
7 March 2015
When a brand has long been associated with floral prints, there's an inherent pressure to always keep fresh. The cheery prêt-à-porter spirit that defined Cacharel 50 years ago remains a calling card today, and you can see how the brand is focusing on this strength rather than striving to be directional. A light Swiss crepe that was once a staple of Cacharel past has made a comeback—as an airy short-sleeved white chemise or pintucked skirt, it's doable for day. The feature flower print can be traced to the Parc de Bagatelle, a floral oasis on the outskirts of Paris where plots of land become carpeted in blossoms each summer. The watercolor effect played into Cacharel's ingenue spirit, especially when it appeared on empire-waist dresses and pinafores. A secondary print of abstracted white birds soaring through midnight blue space gave the distinct impression of late-period Braque. Fuller, flamenco-style skirts featuring both prints extended high up the waist so that, proportionally, they partnered well with cropped poplin tops. Jackets—sleeveless and mannish or egg-shaped and mod-ish—confirmed that Cacharel has range beyond pretty pleated dresses (the strongest, in Sevres blue, directed the pleats to the back). In sum, the collection offered several wardrobe refreshers for those who see the world through a rose-tinted filter.
27 September 2014
This is the second runway season that Cacharel has been rudderless—that is, without any official voice attached to the design. It has been sailing along in lukewarm waters, inspiring neither high praise nor strong objection. For Fall, nothing changed in any public way, yet there appeared to be an improved focus to the collection. Much of this can be attributed to prioritizing silhouettes over pretty prints. Egg shapes had been modified so that they remained classic from the front, but the back resembled Watteau pleating. Wool crepe dresses with dropped waists presented a more mature alternative to the baby doll. Culottes—short or long—seemed less tricky thanks to inverted pleats. Prints of falling leaves and dandelion poufs were rendered with enough color variation and digital manipulation so as to avoid cliché. The Cacharel fur offering was expanded to include soft rabbit shrug vests, shaded cropped fox-fur gilets, and two laser-cut jackets in kangaroo. And there were more options for evening, most notably a "cosmic"-print sheath and a flounced dress that swooped ever so slightly longer in the back. The brand pretty much has all the bases covered—including fine-gauge knitwear resembling lace and loden overcoats in attractive jewel tones. What it needs now is that elusive gust of wind known as buzz.
26 February 2014
Cacharel is not where you look for directional clothes. But it's obvious that the brand's design team has been studying and adapting various au courant ideas taking hold in high fashion's playground. While classic-cut poplin shirts will always be a part of the mix, you can now also find blouses with bows and breezy caped backs. For covering up, there's a molded gray, chevron-patterned neoprene coat; for baring skin tactfully, a jersey dress with side rib cutouts. The standout trench is actually an A-line gabardine coat that better resembles a stiff, oversize shirt.Like neologisms that become part of the conversation, all of these looks have settled smoothly into the Cacharel canon. Flip back a few chapters, and you can see that floral prints are a perennial standby. This season, they once again formed the collection's strongest message. Hydrangea, sunflower, iris, rose—they were all here, yet rendered to entirely different effect, from graphic and simplified to hyperreal. It's almost as if the team broke off into small groups and submitted their designs, like for an architectural competition.Toward the end there was a dress in geometric lace that bore little relation to anything else, but deserved to stay. So many trend fragments confirmed that this collection was largely created by external influences. Not having a figurehead may be part of it. Still, to take fault with any one element would be akin to criticizing an iris for its yellow pistil. The collection was inoffensive from start to finish.
27 September 2013
Cacharel nixed the runway format this season, preferring to present the collection in its showroom with designers Ling Liu and Dawei Sun on hand to walk editors through the looks.They showed off a nicely executed coat with mannish proportions and dropped shoulders, pointing out how it offset the various floral tapestry-inspired dresses. They talked about the season's signature motif of hummingbirds flitting amid flowers—how it was first hand-drawn and then enhanced and filled in digitally with contrast patterns. This delicate print appeared on a flouncy skirt and a quilted cotton parka—one that happened to be lined in rabbit and trimmed with coyote. Don't forget it when you're bemoaning all the black outerwear come fall.But there was also a metaphor or two in that motif: Because, while the designers offered up a pleasing array of work-appropriate dresses and classic poplin shirts, they still have yet to spread their wings. Or blossom. Take your pick. Liu and Sun say the brand is being positioned to young women who might be starting their first job; apparently, prices have dropped to reflect this shift. Diamond tricot sweaters and gray flannel skirts will pass for the first week; the floral knit dress with black side inserts might even prompt a compliment. But once the paychecks begin, these girls will soon graduate beyond the collection."She has lots of style; she's not traditional," said Sun of his Cacharel muse. "She's always wanting to try different things." Hopefully this will prove true of the designers themselves. Words, meet actions.
28 February 2013
Cacharel was the Isabel Marant of its day: young, carefree, colorful, in love with prints, and very French. Marant's isn't the only route to success in the advanced contemporary market, but it's not a bad road map for designers eager to build a brand. Watching Ling Liu and Dawei Sun's third runway collection for Cacharel, you wondered why they haven't tried their hands at her more casual, everyday approach to clothes. It might give the collection a currency that it needs in order to survive and thrive in a seriously competitive category.The show didn't lack for charming pieces: It started strong with a lyrical botanical print on a popover top and Bermuda shorts set, and it ended well, too, with a strapless long dress covered in a colorful abstract goldfish motif. In between, though, it was difficult to fathom why the designers insisted on the cool blues and hot oranges that were used almost exclusively. Certainly there are other, prettier colors. The graphic knits could've used more finessing too. But what was most perplexing were those sheer organza smocked dresses and ruffled skirts. They were prissy when they should've been sassy.
28 September 2012
Vintage tennis outfits from the thirties and forties inspired Cacharel's new Resort collection. Styled with crisp white sneaks and a ringlet-curl pixie cut, lookbook model Maja Salamon channeled racket stars from the era like Pauline Betz Addie in cotton shorts sets and collared pointelle knit dresses (the Wimbledonlike green turf on which she was standing helped achieve the desired effect). For their first few seasons as creative directors, Ling Liu and Dawei Sun resisted the French house's signature Liberty florals, opting to show more graphic patterns instead. This time around, the design duo put their own spin on the signature prints, mixing in crystallized butterflies with the standard blossoms. The result was particularly fresh worn head to toe on a fitted tank with matching wide-legged trousers. Other noteworthy moments included a tie-back turquoise top paired with a "wavelength"-motif silk maxi skirt and an on-trend, away-from-the body geometric jacquard coat.
1 July 2012
When asked how they're settling into their newish role as creative directors at Cacharel, Ling Liu and Dawei Sun shrewdly circled back to their Fall inspiration of Amelia Earhart, a woman who by their estimation wasn't afraid of anything. (These two might be just as ready for a Republican debate as a Paris runway.) You can see where Liu and Sun find that confidence. As evidenced by last season's debut and today's showing, the pair has serious technical savvy. Their tailoring here of twenties-tinged coats and tapered trousers was full of all sorts of look-Ma-no-hands details. The knitwear was even stronger, with its zigzagging herringbone textures, a motif used, the designers explained, to inject masculinity into Cacharel's girlish DNA. See also the sweetly sexy skater dresses with sun-ray pleats flaring out from either side.The seed of Liu and Sun's inspiration was ice crystals glimpsed through an airplane window, which led to the prismatic print and chilly blue palette, an unfortunate choice of hue that flatters few. You hoped for other color ways back at the showroom. The print that stood out, however, was the zigzag, quite cute in a pair of blocked palazzo pants that tricked the eye into seeing a slimmer silhouette within the wide.Liu and Sun may be fearless, and quite capably so, but the element that's still missing is excitement. You have to wonder if the right consultant or stylist—preferably one that shies away from red and white tights—couldn't help maximize their obvious talent.
2 March 2012
Following a convincing Spring debut, Cacharel's new designers, Ling Liu and Dawei Sun, are finding their footing at the storied French house. For pre-fall, the duo is staying true to the label's gamine DNA, but they aren't afraid to break a few rules. First, they jettisoned those signature Liberty florals and replaced them with graphic, pixelated prints, which added a welcome touch of modernity while maintaining brand identity. Liu and Sun also demonstrated their flair for tailoring with subtle, asymmetric seaming that gave comfortable jersey shifts and cashmere-blend topcoats controlled volume and interesting drape. You could imagine a girl meandering through the Jardin du Luxembourg in many of these everyday looks, accessorizing them with flat boots, berets, and chunky knit scarves.Cacharel regularly sells alongside happening, contemporary Parisian lines like Isabel Marant and Carven. But if the label is aiming to siphon off some of that cool clientele, Liu and Sun are going to need to up the edginess factor with more pieces like the slim jersey pants with pleated side pockets and the peach fuzz-colored leather minidress here.
30 January 2012
One of the more surprising decisions in the past months' designer merry-go-round was the ousting of Cédric Charlier from Cacharel; he was replaced by unknown designers Ling Liu and Dawei Sun. (They're Chinese natives who met at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture.) By both retail and editorial accounts, Charlier was doing fine work. And as reported inWWD, the decision made by Cacharel president Jean Bousquet didn't sit well with Massimo Ferretti, head of the French brand's licensee, Aeffe—perhaps less than auspicious circumstances for Liu and Sun's debut today.Backstage before the show, Liu and Sun came up with the correct answer to what Cacharel meant to them. "It's an incredible brand, very French," said Sun, through a translator. "It's synonymous with young contemporary women in France." And on the runway, they hit all the correct notes. They began with sweet little satin tops and shorts, fresh-scrubbed cotton dresses, boxy jackets, and A-line skirts. Between them Liu and Sun have worked at Balenciaga, YSL, and John Galliano. Their twist on the look in origami draping and all sorts of deceptively simple insets and cutouts showed technical prowess; Liu and Sun are no amateurs. They soon segued from icy blues to warmer oranges and finally into florals, including one that echoed the house's classic micro version.The parts were all there, but somehow they didn't seem to firm up into a young, energetic, and, well, fun whole. You got the sense that boxes were being ticked off. Perhaps as Liu and Sun settle into their post, they'll discover the joyful je ne sais quoi that should be part of Cacharel's DNA. Until then, this collection will still ably fill the same racks it's occupied for the past few seasons, but it remains to be seen if it will fly off them.
30 September 2011
Cacharel is one of the handful of houses to recently appoint sapling creative directors eager to make names for themselves in the industry. But fashion watchers will need to wait until the Spring shows to see what kind of new tricks designers Ling Liu and Dawei Sun, who both did time at Balenciaga, have up their sleeves. Resort was a transitional collection for Cacharel, and the in-house design team played it safe, reinterpreting some of the most successful styles from past seasons. There were plenty of sweet floral prints and signature sharp blouses here. They also brought back bright hues, which were all but absent on the Fall runway. Of these colorful pieces, a simple draped minidress in heavycoccinelle(French for "ladybug") silk was particularly striking.
13 July 2011
At a moment when so many designers are mining the glittery, peasant-y, and Bourdin-y bits of the Me Decade, Cédric Charlier—charged with shepherding a brand that peaked at that time—isn't. "That Cacharel girl from the seventies, she doesn't exist," said Charlier backstage before the show. "I try to give a new vision."In that vein, this clever designer will flirt with Cacharel's sweet floral heritage without ever fully closing the deal. And the sophisticated way he does that is one of the things that makes him seem increasingly like this house's real-deal savior, a mere four seasons in. The very cool-looking print in this neatly serene collection had the look of a surreal, half-done artist's sketch. Charlier used it to bookend the show, starting off with the motif on camel and then ending on black. And in the middle, a powdery mix of solids.As for the silhouettes, Charlier doesn't overtly do retro, but his clean-lined clothes had a fresh-scrubbed, standaway sixties shape. His tweak was a new version of layering or "super-positioning," as he called it: He'd put a boxy top over a matching straight-cut mini from which flowed a chiffon skirt. As odd as it sounds, this double skirt was pretty at times, but not so much that you might actually see girls trying to pull it off next season. Though not as flashy of a headline, his layering of all those pale makeup colors in boxy tops and fluid skirts and blousons, long shirts, and trousers was quite beautiful—particularly when they streamed out together for the final walk. In all, it was an impressive effort.
4 March 2011
Last we checked,Cacharelwas 18th on Polyvore's designer list. In other words, the social shopping site's users make sets with only 17 other brands more often than they do with the French heritage label that the Belgian designer Cédric Charlier began reviving in 2009. Pretty impressive. Pretty has always been the operative word here, but Charlier has injected the brand with of-the-moment cool. He's manipulated his own photographs again this season to come up with muted abstract florals. They cover a long drawstring-waist tank dress and line the inside of a midnight sheep fur jacket. Also in the mix: elongated A-line knit T-shirt dresses with contrast tipping at the neckline; a collegiate peacoat, white button-down, and pleated kilt combo; and the house signature shirtdress with hand-painted details. The standout look: a sweatshirt-fabric tunic in navy that topped a neon pink long pleated skirt—the Polyvorers will go crazy for it.
30 January 2011
This was Cédric Charlier's third turn on the runway for Cacharel, and there's a palpable sense of excitement around his work—quite an achievement considering that this brand seemed to be on the verge on sputtering out. As reported previously, business is moving along at a brisk pace. With that in mind, what better seed of an idea for Charlier's new collection than "optimism?"Rather than rose-colored light, the designer bathed the runway in a radiant orange, like sunshine on acid. You think Cacharel and you think prints, but much of the story here was about strong, solid color. The designer started with a series of skin-tone hues, explaining that you have to feel "bien dans sa peau" before you look good in your clothes. It also happened to be a good starting point for a calculated crescendo of increasingly hotter pinks and neon yellow, culminating in an explosion of paint-splotch prints.Like it or not, there was not a floral in the house—not even in the vein of last season's flat, abstracted versions. The prints in this collection, Charlier said, were inspired by a book of Kim Gordon's paintings, and they were meant to invoke a floral without literally going there. This particular motif might not be everyone's cup ofthé—and therefore a tougher sell—but it's evidence that the designer is pushing the brand into new and edgier territory. The same could be said of a few slightly awkward silhouettes, like boxy shirts and a halter jumpsuit. But other pieces—fresh-looking pleated or ruffled cotton dresses; a sporty short-sleeved anorak, all punched up in bold shades—should keep this label's momentum in its happy place.
1 October 2010
Cacharel has added 50 U.S. stores to its account roster since its Fall 2010 show in March. The storied French label's new designer, Cédric Charlier, late of Lanvin and Michael Kors-era Celine, is doing something right. For Resort, his third collection for the house, his something right is print. Working with his team, he manipulated his own photographs of flowers into electric florals. They appear landscape-style on a simple T-shirt dress or more abstractly as an all-over print on a blouse and matching pants (an important Resort trend; see also Balenciaga and Celine).The blouse was Cacharel's signature back in its seventies heyday, and Charlier paid specific attention to it here, adding back darts and seams to enhance fit, elongating it into shirtdresses, or rejiggering it entirely as a V-neck cardigan. The best thing about his not-so-basic basics? Their entry-level designer price points mean you might have something left over for one of his very special dresses.
21 June 2010
Cacharel is to France what Liberty prints are to England, or L.L.Bean is to America: a heritage brand that owes its appeal more to sentimentality than cutting-edge style—and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Often the best fashion moments come from an emotional reaction, as opposed to a sober bit of chin stroking about the sophistication of cut.But in the past few years, Cacharel has become better known for its revolving door of designers than its association with seventies vacations in Deauville. Moreover, the designers who came and went—including Britain's Clements Ribeiro and Eley Kishimoto—had pretty much taken the sentimentality shtick as far as it could go, with their sepia-tinted prints for the brand. For a while, Cacharel looked in danger of miring itself so much in the past it could well be swept back there.But Cédric Charlier, the latest designer to take control, has done something very smart in this, his second collection for the label: Not only is he taking Cacharel forward, but he is taking it toward a gap that very much needed filling. Now that Miu Miu has gone so defiantly upmarket (never refer to it as a diffusion brand in Miuccia Prada's presence—that's a hot tip), there is little left for quirky teens and twentysomethings who want to look good but also pay their rent. Ladies, meet Cacharel.Charlier—who worked with the impressive likes of Michael Kors at Celine and Saint Alber Elbaz at the Church of Lanvin—played on Cacharel's floral associations in this collection, but with a darker and thus more grown-up twist. Mini and oversize rosette patterns were against a black background, undercutting the sweetness, and there were some excellent floral dresses with sophisticated folds and pleating. Similarly, the winter coats were oversize with shoulders sloping downward, proving that Cacharel can join in on the trends seen in some of the more haute labels this season—not least at Lanvin, where there were some strikingly similar toppers. Alber, you have trained your man well.
5 March 2010
Under the direction of British design team Suzanne Clements and Inacio Ribeiro, Cacharel has become a cheerful playground of zippy, youthful ideas. While the line might not make the earth move for a serious fashionista, its rediscovered verve produces at least one respectable, commercially viable idea per season.For pring, Clements and Ribeiro combined elements of Carnaby Street, the San Fernando Valley circa 1983, and sunny St. Tropez. They showed oversized jersey tops and dresses; short skirts and overalls with bold floral appliqués; shrunken polo shirts, sometimes with crisp, skinny pants; and tiny chiffon tops and dresses. Not so different from other collections this season, except that the duo gave those pieces a blast of energy with giddy patterns and bracing colors—big tomato-red stripes, dizzy polka dots, soft madras plaids and paisleys, and gentle cherry blossom prints. Though there was the potential for mayhem, the overall effect was of happy chatter rather than chaotic shouting. And in a season when the main message is straight-out seduction, Cacharel's teenage innocence felt like a fresh breeze.
4 October 2002
Cacharel is the perky mademoiselle of French fashion, with roots in the Seventies ready-to-wear revolution that made snappy style affordable and available for the fillies in the street. Suzanne Clements and Inacio Ribeiro, enthusiastic believers in upholding Cacharel's value-for-money tradition, are happy to play with the pretty prints and neat separates that made the house's reputation.For fall, they called on Celia Birtwell, the printmaker who worked with (and was married to) designer Ossie Clark in the Seventies, to create some designs for Cacharel. And from her front-row seat at the show, Birtwell watched her handiwork go by: hand-drawn leaves, flowers and cameo doodles ornamented high-waisted Ossie-like fluted dresses, silky skirts, trenches and blouses. Those were interspersed with jeans, glazed cotton bombers and little sixties-style velvet double-breasted suits trimmed with denim. Afterward, Birtwell said she thought the prints "looked rather good." Clements, for her part, said working in an Ossie Clark aesthetic was a dream come true. "When I was seven, I saw Ossie in Camden market and asked him for a job," she said. "He was wearing a yellow cape covered in bells and carrying a King Charles spaniel. If I'd been old enough, I'd have been a total Ossie girl."
8 March 2002
The Cacharel stage was decorated by illustrator Julie Verhoeven with drawings of pixie-like creatures, complemented by swirling laser projections—the perfect setting for the kaleidoscopic designs presented by Suzanne Clements and Inacio Ribeiro."Spanish Harlem Sunday Best meets Teenage Mall-Rat" was how the duo described their cocktail of orchid prints, table-cloth ginghams, brushstroke floras, cartoon animals and colorful toiles de Jouy. Cacharel's renaissance has been driven by this poppy, lighthearted esthetic, and this season should satisfy young customers with plenty of cool basics like candy-colored chevron jackets, sexy jersey dresses, flower-power suits and high-impact bags and mules.At times, however, Clements and Ribeiro's enthusiasm got the best of them. The extended parade of sugary, pretty-girl dresses and a final series of Victorian lace numbers left some hankering for a sobering shot of insulin.
5 October 2001
Cardboard chandeliers, fake little chairs and painted-on curtains at Clements Ribeiro's show for Cacharel announced that the couple was in a playful mood.With their "cari-couture" collection, Clements Ribeiro succeeded once again in injecting Cacharel with a girly, playful spirit, revisiting fashion clichés with an ironic eye. The trompe-l'oeil theme that has been so prevalent this season was everywhere here: Western shirts had printed-on pockets and stitches, gray suits flaunted make-believe tassels and pretty dresses were embellished with faux bows and necklaces. Toto-like dogs formed a black, red and white optic print on otherwise prim and proper skirts and tops; fly-away dresses were crawling with panthers or trimmed in star-shaped rhinestones.Amid the fun, Clements Ribeiro didn't forget to include all the basics a cool Cacharel girl will require next Fall: a boyish tuxedo blazer, a flashy corduroy suit and coat (choose between purple or red), a few sweatshirts, plenty of two-tone heels and ankle booties, and even a couple of short little fur vests.
9 March 2001
The biggest venue at the Carrousel du Louvre was packed to capacity (and then some) for Cacharel's first runway show in 20 years. Now that traditional French labels are being infused with new blood left and right, the house is hoping that the newly appointed design team of Clements Ribeiro will help them move beyond Anaïs Anaïs.Their first collection proved that there is certainly a future for the brand. Young girls should adore the pastoral red-and-blue prints, mint julep tops and leg-hugging trousers. Liberty-style florals looked modern when mixed with snazzy ginghams; boyish short-sleeved shirts provided a crisp alternative for clean-cut schoolgirls. The accessories should also be a hit with the teen set: High wedges with red checkered soles, contrasting sorbet pumps, wide floral belts and (mis)matching driving caps all looked great.
8 October 2000