The Clothes Whisperer: the fashion blog with wit that sparkles: Paris Fashion Week: BAMBI et al @ JC de Castelbajac Autumn Winter 2010

Every now and again, one sees a collection so spot on with one's, let's say, spiritual or psychological "manifesto" (for lack of a better word), that one convinces oneself that the designer was designing just for you. And so it was with the Autumn Winter 2010 collection of one of my favorite designers anyway, the lovably avant garde and ever playful Jean Charles de Castelbajac. This season, having a bit of fun with his name, Castelbajac literally erected a castle--Disney-style--on his runway (hooray!) and took, as his patron saint, my favorite Disney character Bambi (although Beauty and the Beast's Belle, being both a bookworm and something of a stylista coming in close second). Deer, cheesy at it may sound, and little dappled fawns in particular, are my power animal. That is to say, in a new-agey but not sort of way, they bear an important significance to me and whenever I see one, be it in real life trotting alongside a mountain highway or decorating a pair of the cutest pumps on earth on a Parisian runway, I sit up and take notice.

The collection bore the rather nonsensical title of Go!Go!Go!Diva!, which, I suppose somehow correlates to the mish mosh of fairy tale and medieval legend evoked by the designer in his show notes: once upon a time in an island kingdom there was a lady called Godiva. She lived in a castle...and her companion was Bambi. Contrary to what such a once upon a time conjures up, the show contained no nude aristocrats upon horseback, but instead, a melee of looks as fantastical as the beloved Disney films chronicling the imaginary realm of Fairy Tale. A caftan with scarab shoulders and chainmail printed knitwear represented Lacelot and Guinevere, a slew of reflective plexi glass pieces sewn together in bulky silhouettes and metallic silver strong shouldered separates were instantly recognizably knights of the round table. It was just so delectably cool.

Foe to the friend, red clad models with enormous masks slithered across the cobblestoned catwalk as formidable dragons whilst Dita von Tease snuggled up to her prince charming, Castelbajac's son, in the front row. Meanwhile, DJ duo French Horn Rebellion kept it real on the turntables (before the show, a herald had emerged center stage and hailed the advent of the show vis a vis trumpet). Primary colors a la Disney and certainly Castelbajac ran rampant, as did large pop art prints splashed over sequined t-shirt dresses and ample use of rigid materials such as hard plastic and inflatable life vest looking layers with bits of leather thrown in for good measure. It was kind of biker goes Disney goes Beth Ditto.

As for the Bambi inspired looks, I must have them all. From the Bambi printed shoes to fawn faced shoulders peeking off LBDs, full on brocade dresses bearing the beloved doe's visage, to a selection of fuzzy antlers running the gamut from wee fawn to full on King Buck, I repeat: I MUST HAVE IT ALL.

For the finale, Castelbajac, it would seem, believes in unicorns. Though the final model, clad head to toe in white, literally lost her head as she emerged through the catwalk portcullis, when the castle's King appeared for his bow, he took his fair unicorn, mask firmly reinstated, by the hand so as to give all us plebs a proper happily ever after.