Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Here's a few adjectives to describe the style of designer Kevork Kiledjian: sexy, body-con, vampy, even maybe too tight. All in all, it's very French, which is appropriate considering Kiledjian is one of those leather jacket-wearing Parisians who look as though they're always two seconds from turning on their heel, throwing a half-smoked cigarette into the gutter, and strutting off to some ridiculously cool underground party.
So too do his models appear, clad this season in the reddest red leather and fur, jet black dresses with navy panels, super-slim pants (with a bell kick from the ankle, to give only a peek at the stiletto underneath) and leather, leather, leather. They may not be able to walk too freely in those skintight skirts, but they will kick your ass no questions asked, a fact underlined by the angry eyebrows.
Kiledjian's designs seem to evoke the most powerful of emotions: passion (check out the black sheath with sheer slits in the perfect spots to reveal you're wearing no underwear), fury (holy lord that red fur coat), and avarice (that final wrapped leather look is all about "gimme more").
But speaking of kicking ass, check out those hairstyles. In previous seasons, Kevork has favored the long and natural look, but fall/winter 2012 is the opposite; it's all strict and pulled into a spike, mirroring the finish at the bottom of the outfit: the severe stiletto shoe collaboration between Kiledjian and Jean-Michel Cazabat.
So, who will pull off this look? It requires some hair gel, a trim waist, and the self-confidence to not care that the entire street is watching you walk past. Perhaps it also requires...a dare.
· What to Wear if You're a Hot Parisian Power Girl: Kevork Kiledjian [Racked]
· Kevork Kiledjian [Official Site]
· All Fashion Week coverage [Racked]