Winter has collided with Fashion Week in New York as the temperature drops below freezing for the first time this year, but at Diane von Furstenberg, it's all about hot-blooded Spain - the designer cites Gaudi, Goya and Miro as her inspirations. The connection is seen in the many mosaic-tile prints and pimento, magenta and black palette. Winners include bollowing chiffon blouses, a flouncy skirt and a cute velvet romper.
Across town, Luella Bartley's collection is English all the way, with a bright red hunting coat, Sgt Pepper uniforms and debutante frocks.
At his West Side show, Phillip Lim gets it right with models dressed as story-book characters: an artist in a romantic painter blouse and pleated smock; an updated fairy in a tulle trapeze dress with giant red polka dots; the wicked sister dolled up in a copper, box-pleated number; and the happy ending: a gossamer white column dress with tulip pleats and sash waist.
Drama comes in every size and shade in Matthew Williamson?s nice-but-where-can-I-wear-this? collection. Models seem to pulsate light in silk georgette cocktail dresses dripping in sequins, metal and mirrors. Other styles are completely in silver or adorned with multicoloured gem-stones. Nubby boucle coats in red and green and a massive hide-inside-it cowl build up the tempo.
Monday, February 5
No one hates Mondays if there's a Carolina Herrera show on the agenda. Nods and smiles from the front row affirm that it's worth getting out of bed for. Herrera feminises this season's geekchic look by pairing plaid wool with - to the dismay of animal activists outside the tent - luxurious furs such as silver fox and sable.
It must be stressful being expected to show a perfect collection every season, but the wide smile and brief bow from elegant Oscar de la Renta confirms that the talented always appear to work effortlessly. Clothes range from understated to ballroom worthy: a sweet houndstooth dress flecked with glitter, a nononsense charcoal skirt under a small jumper and a handwoven mink tweed coat.
Meanwhile, Max Azria offers a palette of platinum, silver and burnished pewter with pale shades of blue-green and rose on a parade of frocks, skirts and jackets. A black applique yoke on a brown jersey shift deserves an honourable mention but over all, the feathers, ribbons, ruching and chain-mail are too busy.
It's a long cold wait to get into Marc Jacobs' show but all, including his movie-star friends and A-grade fashion editors, shake off the chill when the lights come on. Inspired by Bernardo Bertolucci's film The Conformist, his girls look like they stepped out of a 1970s Vogue magazine: belted coats, a wonderful array of shirtdresses in icy lame and schoolmarm grey pleats. Boning intensifies the shape of simple jumpers worn with pleated skirts. Thin pantsuits are paired with spencer jackets. Colourful, wide-brimmed hats complement and add glamour to the simple structured pieces. Every season is Jacobs' best yet.
Tuesday, February 6
Those not hung over following Jacobs' after party have fun at Betsey Johnson's School of Charm, as the collection opens with a pair of French maids strutting the runway with dusters. Other models are dressed as naughty schoolgirls and sexy geeks - which gets the Japanese members of the audience scribbling madly on their notepads. Pretty silk dresses, bow blouses and fantastic short-sleeved coats
in tweed or plaid are worth doing cartwheels over.
Across town, Derek Lam, Tod's new creative director, is the designer to watch this season and he does not disappoint. His masculine shapes with feminine accents, including a tailored plaid jacket with navy sleeves, are crowd-pleasers. His clever use of patent leather, whether quilted, crinkled or crocodile embossed, creates fresh looks for this season's most over-done material.
Back at the tent, Alice Temperley is still trying to shake her grown-up princess image and borrows looks from men. Dark and moody, she cites a Russian influence and shows clean, slender lines with tuxedo detailing on tailored, crepe court dresses and intricately bound jackets with wide harem-style trousers. Her collections are always beautiful and a 70s moth-like pattern on cinched cape dresses and skirts will be fondly remembered.
Wednesday, February 7
It's 9am and most of the audience is bleary-eyed as a double-faced jersey dress with a black laminate hood opens the Ports 1961 show. Shiny laminate continues on pockets or in long black gloves and a shiny grey decorates the bodice of a winter blue, wool satin shift dress. The blend of metallics, silk lame, jacquards and tweed updates tented coats and sculpted, stand-up collars.
Michael Kors leaves the cowboy hat at the ranch and goes for luxury sportswear. Perhaps borrowing from Ingrid Bergman's stylist, his collection includes cuffs and a collar of fur on a tweed sack coat, paired with a headscarf, sunglasses and gloves. A bit of glam peeks through in long one-shouldered gowns in silk georgette adorned with gold crystals.
At the Hammerstein Ballroom, Diesel is 'tight 'n' black'. Although its ubiquitous one-pieces and high-waisted skinny pants are cut to secondskin fit, they are balanced by exaggerated shoulders or puffed sleeves. The 80s-style trench dress tightly cinched to emphasise the crisp stand-away revers of the neckline is bound to sell out.
Hong Kong-born designer Vivienne Tam continues to look to home for inspiration and creates a loose-fitting qipao of the 20s, adding ruffled bibs and geometric shapes cut to expose the underlaying. This look is further updated with chunky wooden wedge heels. Hong Kong supermodel Gailey's debut at Fashion Week - in Tam's coppersequined mesh dress and a satin trench with a quilted skull on the back - is a highlight for fans.
Anna Sui's famous frocks and retro-styled dresses are intertwined with taffeta parkas, softly draped blouson jackets and sporty salopettes while girls strutting in Victoriana or belle epoque-inspired prints set a playful mood. Her love of colours is grounded with layered blacks, browns and cement greys for draped sweater dresses, cocooning capes and a taffeta all-in-one.
Thursday, February 8
Animal activists are still walking their dogs, so it's relatively quiet at 10am in the tents. Fur is a must-have for former furrier J. Mendel and while pieces such as the white fur coat belted in satin will not win over People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), fashionistas embrace them. The post-war inspired collection, featuring nippedwaists and pencil skirts, is meticulously tailored, evoking a 50s Hollywood glamour.
Vera Wang can be hit or miss, but according to frontrow chatter, she has hit the bull's eye. Like Temperley, she cites Russian pioneers as inspiration and dresses her models in shearling military jackets, tulle, stiff taffetas and head-kerchiefs. The theme works well on one of the coldest days of the year, especially the tailored coats, which are belted in crocodile or matt rawhide leathers.
Midtown, Calvin Klein's models teeter out, every girl in grey. Francisco Costa shows a strong, yet spare assembly with understated directional and feminine shapes. The designer alternates between two brilliantly cut silhouettes: loose and super skinny. Winners include an oversized cable-knit-inspired jumper and a long gown in silk chiffon that sparkles with Swarovski crystals.
Although his front row is celebrity studded, Zac Posen doesn't give off much of the red-carpet glamour we've come to expect, instead presenting a grown-up tailored look full of architectural lines. Skirt suits with tight, cropped curved-hemmed jackets and floor-length fishtail gowns in bright colours are fabulous. The strapless, fullskirted cocktail dresses and voluminous belted jackets are reminiscent of an 80s prom night.
Friday, February 9
Ralph Lauren goes for bodyhugging pieces and is heavy on luxe wools. He offers metallic detailing such as eyelets and tiny faceted studs. A gold lame gown with a plunging V neck is a stunner. Wonderful, albeit hard-to-wear, looks include skinny black pants with cropped cashmere tweed jackets, a cashmere version of a sundress that translates into autumn with a turtleneck jumper and a bomber jacket lined with fur.
In SoHo, Donna Karan shows a flirty modern take on the French gamines of the 80s. It's a mainly black collection, with bands of fluorescent colour and shimmering texture. For New York days, she pairs a simple tunic with lean, straight-legged trousers and for glamorous evenings, dresses are long, body-hugging and strapless.
Parties aside, Fashion Week ends with Tommy Hilfiger making a comeback after a two-season hiatus. American prep is always on the agenda, though an oldfashioned British elegance is seen for the men: tartan tuxedo shirts with contrasting collars and a black wool university-crest jacket over a striped tie. For women, there is bright, primary-colouraccented tailoring, including a navy wool coatdress with red piping on the pockets.
Winter came late for New Yorkers this year, but the buzz is already sounding like spring 2008. Flora Wu
LONDON
Monday, February 12
You could say London Fashion Week started last Thursday, when Harvey Nichols hosted a lively party to launch the design collaboration between Giles Deacon and Stuart Vevers of Mulberry. The designers are great mates and the fruit of this friendship is some edgy patent bags studded with gold grommets. This, along with Anya Hindmarch's Elrod and Yves Saint Laurent's Downtown, looks like a must-have for editors this week.
The buzz around LFW is eco-awareness - there's a section of stands in the exhibition dedicated to 'green' labels and Noir, first up on the catwalk, is noted for its green credentials. The Danish label, using London as its platform, kicks off fashion week with an edgy androgynous look: sleek military tailoring, black leather coats and silk trenches and smocks, all gussied up with Swarovski-crystal Sam Brown belts.
The Hans Holbein exhibition (at Tate Britain) inspired London-based Dane Peter Jensen. While there are a few inky velvet gowns and big puffy skirts, it's the chain-mail knits with skinny velvet trousers and the long, black satin dinner coat that will fly out of the shops.
Monday is the big day for new talent, including Duro Olowu, whose popular vintage-fabric smock dresses continue in a 1970s vein, with the hesitant addition of some tailoring that needs fine-tuning. The kids at Fashion East (supported by Top Shop) include Henry Holland, of House of Holland, who made those irreverent T-shirts last season (Giles Deacon famously wore the 'Uhu Gareth Pugh' tee). This season, the slogans are about models: 'I'll show you whose boss Kate Moss' and 'Let's play naked Twister Linda Evangelista'. This is a T-shirt collection, despite the attempt to move on with synthetic blousons and shifts.
Danielle Scutt meanwhile, is caught in an 80s vibe with big hair, power dressing and superwoman outfits. Talented knitwear designer Louise Goldin, who should be snapped up by a Parisian fashion house, is more successful. Her sweater dresses range from cobweb to harlequin textures worked in medieval armour-like pieces. They are intricate, body-conscious and worthy of a wider audience.
Another one to watch is Richard Nicoll, designer of a capsule range for Top Shop that is walking out of the door. He treats us to jaunty club pieces inspired by Angie Bowie.
Todd Lynn, ex-Roland Mouret and stylist to rock stars such as Mick Jagger, continues to make sexy, androgynous tailoring for boys and girls, with wing-collar shirts, skinny trousers and his 'n' her coats.
John Rocha is the veteran here and shows us how it's done. He treads familiar paths with his masculine sensibility - roomy, cropped trouser suits and belted coats - but then invests delicate details: feathered trims, lace and silk crushed pleat appliques on dresses, capes and bell-sleeved jackets. He describes it after the show as 'a bit opera and a bit rock 'n' roll'. It is about 'texture and form', he adds, 'but handworked in a modern way and with hidden surprises inside the garments'.
Tuesday, February 13
Paul Smith has a passion for English eccentrics and these characters regularly underpin his collections. He is channelling a Bloomsbury look - think Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in The Hours. However, he makes it sexier with roomy boyfriend jumpers draped with pearls, velvet smoking jackets, big Poiret-inspired coats and flapper dresses. The masculine vibe survives in slim jackets with mismatched waistcoats.
The hottest ticket of the week is Christopher Kane, who creates flirty, eye-popping corsetry dresses. Only a year out of college and with a stint at Versace under his belt, Kane is swiftly moving on to hard, polished leather worked with cartridge pleats that look like ruffs from an Elizabethan doublet. Tough chic it may be but he has gorgeous empire-line velvet dresses spliced with leather and giant crystal studs.
Kane is getting all the attention and you can't help feeling sorry for equally talented Marios Schwab, who is producing sexy, body-conscious dresses reminiscent of Alaia that are being worn by celebs such as Kylie Minogue. His sensibility is also a lot tougher this season. He's still working his intricate hexagonal cut, but now it is applied to skating skirts and puffa jackets, which pick up on the futuristic-sporty vibe that is in the air.
London is renowned for its young talent, but some of it still goes unsung, notably Sinha-Stanic, who have pieced together my favourite collection so far. Like Raf Simons at Jil Sander, they stick to a slim silhouette, but work the glamour with luxurious textures such as jet beading, antique gold stones, dull bronze brocade and shiny silver foil leather. It is sophisticated but has razzle-dazzle red-carpet appeal.
Julien Macdonald is well versed in the matter of premiere frocks and shows plenty to his front-row girls, which include footballers' wives and rock-star offspring Kimberly Stewart and Peaches Geldof. There's lots of glitter and spangles - and that's just on Naomi Campbell, who makes a special catwalk appearance. There is also a lot of fur, so the venue is kept secret until the last minute to foil anti-fur protesters.
I reckon the heavy rain does the job.
Wednesday, February 14
It's dried out enough to get to Roksanda Ilincic, who is showing at the legendary Quaglino's restaurant. The delicious breakfast remains untouched by the fashionistas. Perhaps everyone is distracted by the lovely collection, which retains its demi-couture sensibility, but is worked with big bell sleeves and great clouds of tulle that puff up the slender dresses.
From Sir Terence Conran's former gastrodome, it's off to his son Jasper's catwalk. Mary Quant and Lulu Guinness are in the audience, Melvyn Tan plays Schubert's Impromptu on the piano as a parade of precision-cut tailoring in a tight monochromatic palette is presented. Sculpted capes (a hot trend), neat little jackets and the tiniest skirts in town segue into glamorous poppy-red evening gowns. From the Georgian elegance of the Royal Academy, we head to a big West End warehouse to see trench coats in their infinite variety from specialist Aquascutum. Michael Herz and Graeme Fidler have been doing a great job sexing up the label, but bustiers tucked into high-waist pants and a tweed-lined moire raincoat are too tricksy.
Jonathan Saunders, meanwhile, chooses the perfect setting - the Hayward Gallery - for a modernist collection of graphic, tonal prints that channel the Mondrian technique of colour blocking. He works it brilliantly in long and shorter lengths. His muse is actress Thandie Newton, who is sitting front row and is a perfect model for his sleek, pared-down designs.
Thursday, February 15
Two of Britain's most respected designers show off their collections today: Nicole Farhi, offering a French spin on the Bloomsbury look, and Betty Jackson, working her familiar Marni-ish look of cute, loose tops, chunky knits and satin skirts worked in great combos such as ginger, chestnut and pink. Having missed the opening party on Monday, I sneak off for an hour to the National Portrait Gallery to see the Face of Fashion exhibition, which is full of seductive portraits and fashion spreads by shooting stars such as Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Corinne Day and Steven Klein.
Gareth Pugh is next. His outlandish collections seem more at home on a stage than in the street - no wonder he works with the likes of American Express and Moet & Chandon. This collection is wearable, if you first remove the black latex bodywear.
The raw excitement of London is proving a magnet for Americans, with Marc Jacobs in town tomorrow night to show his Marc collection and Nathan Jenden (a Brit based in New York known for his daytime gig as designer for Diane von Furstenberg) debuting his own collection in a dilapidated music hall in the East End. Jenden has a great spin on eveningwear, having used young singer Lily Allen as his muse. Cocktail dresses, hourglass suits and puffball taffeta prom dresses are accessorised Allen-style, with trainers and brothel creepers.
Finally I head to Giles. A childhood in northern England's Lake District, honing his talent as a fantasy-nature illustrator, must have inspired Giles Deacon to produce this collection: from the badger-mask invitations to the porcupine-quill hats and huge fan-pleated ball dress the colour of brown autumn leaves. Giant grass-green hand knits jostle with pin-cushion satin dresses and a puffball of cock feathers, all feats of technical wizardry. It is inspiring, magical and utterly impractical, but who cares? That's London for you. Francesca Fearon
MILAN
Monday, February 19
Flight delays mean I am running to Giorgio Armani as soon as I touch down in Milan, arriving just in time to see Tina Turner and actress Fan Bingbing (star of the film, Lost in Beijing) in the front row before the lights dim. This is one of Armani's prettiest mainline collections for a while, with swingy pastel coats, cute bubble skirts and lots of fur wraps - inevitable in Milan - worn with flat shoes. There is, however, a dark side, with fluid silver laminate jackets and black velvet dresses trimmed with black patent and long mesh gloves giving the collection an edge.
Christopher Bailey at Burberry Prorsum understands edge; he has given the fusty British label a cool allure during his tenure. His 1960s 'It' girl look has been toughened up this season with medieval armour details and gunmetal colour. There are lots of coats, from signature black trenches to parkas and military styles, all of it tightly belted in patent leather and worn with long black gloves.
I was looking forward to hearing soprano Katherine Jenkins perform at the ritzy Montblanc party tonight, but our limousine whizzes past the floodlit venue because the catwalk shows are, as ever, running ridiculously late.
I can't miss Pringle. Clare Waight Keller's textured grey hand-knit was heavily copied last season, so she capitalises on the thickly textured look by combining chunky cardigans with short bubble skirts, and coats with knitted trims. The evening ends at the Triennale, the venue for an Armani retrospective that has travelled the world (stopping in Shanghai along the way) before returning home to Milan. It will eventually be given a permanent exhibition space close to the brand's city headquarters.
Tuesday, February 20
I bump into Sarah Rutson Pang, Lane Crawford's fashion director, at Jil Sander and we muse over yesterday evening's shows and whether designers have heard of global warming - the sales are chock-full of chunky hand-knits and the designers here are offering us more! Raf Simons at Jil Sander is the exception and presents a beautifully controlled collection of almost minimalist tailoring, with lightweight roll-neck jumpers under round-neck jackets and capes - the key garment in this collection. His precision cutting and use of techno and iridescent fabrics make Simons a worthy successor to Sander.
Because Jil Sander clashes with Etro, I miss the famous Italian print house's paisley velvet dresses studded with gems (as I am later informed), so I head over to Tod's to admire the gleaming new copper-gold Bengor bag - until I catch sight of the Madison in patent claret with white trim. I want to stock up on ballet pumps and sateen car shoes, with matching evening bags. Designer Derek Lam has a great eye for colour and deep ochre gold is his choice this season.
On my way to Alberta Ferretti, I drop by Bulgari to drool over the new Elisia range of fine jewellery, inspired by the brand's archives from the 60s - necklaces are making a big comeback, so its long necklace of coral and cabochon emeralds looks very 'now'.
Ferretti, meanwhile, is looking to the future, giving a romantic twist to fascinating new techno fabrics. It is hard to know what some of the shimmery materials are but combined with scorched prints, sulphurous colours and lots of metal grommets, she has given her inimitable feminine look a tough makeover.
In our age of abbreviations, one wonders when Bottega Veneta will simply shorten its name to BV, especially as it has hung a sign above the catwalk saying 'when your own initials are enough'. As usual, Tomas Maier uses subtlety, working cosmetic shades into serenely simple dresses. Given his minimalist tastes, a golden-fringed shimmy dress seems out of sync with the overall luxe elegance of the line, but add the blond patent bag and diamond-globe drop earrings to your wish list this season.
Fabric innovation is driving the collections this season and Prada falls in line with solid-looking materials, such as laminated knits, stiff calfskin and wool that morphs into silk, worked in uncompromisingly sober - if shapeless - silhouettes for winter. It will be interesting to see how a designer as directional as Miuccia Prada influences the pack with this collection; it is pretty radical.
Wednesday, February 21 Consuela Castiglioni has her fans but while her new Marni collection is clever in its amazing use of techno fabrics such as polypropylene, latex and heat-fused wool gabardine, and intriguing geometric silhouettes, sexy it is not. Few men will like this look, but girls who love Marni's inherent coolness will appreciate the roomy tunics, artsy geometric patterns and geometric Bakelite necklaces.
I miss Sharon Stone's arrival at Roberto Cavalli, and with the Oscars only a few days away, Cavalli shows her what is available for that flashbulb moment. Most of it is gilded, like the Dolce & Gabbana restaurant, Gold, where I had dinner last night. And like the restaurant decor, the metallic sheen in Cavalli is handled with surprising subtlety in gently draped and swagged 80s-style gowns worn by blondes who are dead ringers for 40s Hollywood star Veronica Lake.
Graeme Black at Ferragamo also highlights the 80s, with his oversized dogtooth strides and tweeds presented in voluminous trousers and belted coats. Best in show are the graphic geometric prints and motifs on the eveningwear, a theme that appears in a number of collections.
I pop into nearby Hogan to see how well the Guitar bag has done since its debut. Limited-edition versions in yellow, sky blue, black patent and red pony-skin will be released soon. Metallic and shiny finishes are big news in Milan and there are plenty of new bags featuring these hi-tech looks at Hogan.
Gucci is full-on 40s glamour inspired by Lake (again) and the work of photographer Lee Miller. There are fabulous tweeds and bluebell-print dresses, although the fabrics would be a tad heavy for our climate, but the leather flying jackets and sassy velvet evening dress are perfect for Hong Kong. Essential buys are the patent bow belt and the gold cuffs with the Gucci crest.
Thursday, February 22
It's an early start; I need to be fresh for Giles Deacon's maiden collection for Daks. The Japanese-owned British brand has secured London's most talked-about designer for its working-woman's wardrobe. There are some great curvy silhouettes emphasising the waist and exaggerating the hip line, and a fabulous patchwork green coat that is going on my must-have list, but the vision is patchy in places.
I wish I could say Matthew Williamson, Britain's former golden boy, was doing well at Pucci, but sadly those complex Pucci prints we all love are missing, abandoned in favour of colour-block patterns of ochre, red, pink and fuchsia that are redolent of 70s decor. Even the fur chubbies appear in the same violent colours. However, the one knockout dress was covered with a patch-work of painted geometric metal disks.
Max Mara fares better with plenty of great coats and satin sporty jackets worn with ski pants. Similarly, Loro Piano has gone for a sporty alpine feel in its collection, although it is luxurious: hi-tech jackets, fur-trimmed cashmere knits and exotic fabric blends such as baby cashmere and (ethically harvested) chinchilla used in coats.
I quickly skip around Furla to admire the 80th-anniversary bags (a different material for each of the four seasons) before going to Dolce & Gabbana.
There has been a dearth of front-row celebrities and supermodels thus far, so it is thrilling to see Gisele Bundchen open the show in ruched metallic leather cinched with a solid silver padlocked waspie. One wag has renamed the duo Dominatrix & Gabbana; certainly that is the key theme, with models carrying riding crops and wearing masks with their shiny dresses and spiky stilettos. It's sexy, aggressive and a great spectacle.
Fendi is synonymous with fur, especially for the winter, and nowhere are such pieces more intricate. There is a sporty element to this collection in the way the furs are handled and there is a lot of studded black leather. Big chunky belts with faceted crystal clasps are much in evidence, too. For those who couldn't get to Milan, Fendi is taking the whole collection to the mainland for a show that will be staged on the Great Wall on May 24.
I've Got the Power by Snap! plays on the soundtrack to Moschino's luxe gold brocade opener with retro space-age tailoring and more of the short girly bubble skirts I've seen elsewhere this week.
Franco Moschino's signature giant 'peace' sign on the backdrop and a 'love' message written on the hosiery add to the feel-good mood that I take to the gallery where Dolce & Gabbana is hosting a party for its 'Secret Ceremony' Steven Klein exhibition.
The theme is homoerotic and best left to the imagination, so I decide to head for the Boombox party, a hip club event airlifted from London's trendy Hoxton for the night.
Friday, February 23
It is the final day and I squeeze in a trip back to Gucci to admire the bags, jewels and the new gold watch that is about to be launched. At Missoni, the 70s mood returns with long cardigans in geometric knits, midi skirts and intriguing knitted furs. The strange harness corsets with leather straps to emphasise the waist don't appeal.
As I watch Blumarine's quietly presented show of black and red retro tailoring, I sense a sadness in designer Anna Molinari, who lost her husband in a safari accident last year.
Donatella Versace, however, lifts our spirits with a beautiful, tightly edited collection that marks her 10-year tenure as creative director. There is stylish sculptural tailoring in stretch jersey and techno wool, metallic knits and luxurious furs mixed with some vibrant swing coats. The show, and the week, closes with her subtly coloured diva gowns, which trail panels of chiffon that float like scarves around the models' bodies. Francesca Fearon
PARIS
Tuesday, February 27
While the rest of the world is digesting the Oscar frocks, fashion editors are hoping to glimpse something new in Paris after a safe - read boring - season in Milan. Their prayers are answered by Nicholas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga, who swaps last season's futuristic look for a down-to-earth collection fusing urban streetwear with ethnic influences. Wearable pieces include military jackets and blazers trimmed with colourful piping, embroidered scarves decorated with gold fringes
and dresses made from mixed prints. Young women will be snapping them up in autumn.
Vivienne Westwood chooses the Stone Age as the theme for autumn/winter 2008 with a collection dedicated to cave girls. While the multiple layers - including an oversized shaved sheepskin cardigan, pyjamas with caveman prints, gathered tartan capes and woolly scarves - seem out of synch with this season's elegance, her signature pieces stand out: draped and tucked skirts, corsets and Wilma Flintstone-inspired cocktail dresses with exaggerated sweetheart necklines.
Those of us who missed John Galliano's couture spectacular in January are given a second bite of the cherry at his stunning show for Christian Dior, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The collection is old-school glamour, emphasised by a grey dove staircase and white flowers flanking the catwalk. The Dior girl this season wears a 1940s-inspired silhouette - think Joan Crawford, eyebrows included - with perfectly matched hats, platform shoes and handbags in mouthwatering colours such as fuchsia, red, chartreuse and kelly green. Couture details such as origami folds, bustles, pleating and embellishments (by Lesage) appear on more modern shapes, bringing the collection from old world to new. Wearable? Who cares, this is Galliano at his finest - and we're glad he's back.
The good mood continues as Jean Paul Gaultier kicks off his own show with model-of-the-moment Coco Rocha bounding down the catwalk doing a Scottish jig in a red belted coat and tartan skirt (she was discovered at an Irish dance festival). With bagpipes wailing in the background, the man who made kilts de rigueur for men brings out Celtic-inspired styles for women, including Argyle knits, tartan dress coats with a built-in backpack or oversized bow at the back and plaid skirts matched with a motorcycle jacket or sporty bomber. There are beautiful trench coats in leather or with fur or patent-leather trim.
Wednesday, February 28
With rumours abounding that Valentino will retire after his couture show in July, expectations are high for what could be his final ready-to-wear show. While naked Peta protesters distract the audience for a second, the master gets our attention with a collection inspired by '80s runway beauties and 40s movie stars'. Models with Veronica Lake hair sashay down the catwalk in polished and elegant below-the-knee skirt suits (a hot trend), tunics over pencil-thin pants and dresses with puffed sleeves or matching jackets. Aside from the drop-dead-gorgeous red gowns (a chiffon number with cascading ruffles that move across the body is a stunner), he includes red jackets for daytime, spiced up with electric blue and purple.
At Givenchy, Riccardo Ticci delivers his strongest collection yet, using the same naval theme explored in his haute couture show. High-waisted, wide-legged sailor trousers are matched with tailored jackets and peacoats, some with oversized collars that frame the face. There are also long and lean Edwardian floor-length fishtail skirts. Sailor ribbons, brass buttons and art deco stud motifs add detail. The catch of the day: a one-shouldered black cocktail dress swathed in fish netting.
Thursday, March 1
While waiting for Stella McCartney to begin, photographer Giles Bensimon swaps coats with Hong Kong style maven Joyce Ma, who is wearing a vintage Comme des Garcons number that still looks current. McCartney seems to be working in the same vein, creating clothes that women - such as actress Jessica Biel, in the front row - will wear for years to come. There are cosy boyfriend jumpers updated with quirky snow-flake and polar-bear prints, hooded cocoon jackets, sporty parkas over knit dresses and a jacket made from tufted yarn that is a great fur alternative. The fuchsia and grey jumpsuits are playful and fun, and everyone leaves smiling, taking McCartney's new organic skin-care range with them.
I spot Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung Ho-yee at Qeelin's swish store opening at the Palais Royale then dash to Celine, where designer Ivana Omazic brings the fashion house closer to its French roots. There is plenty of luxury in crocodile jackets and separates such as obi-belted cashmere coats, trench coats and pencil skirts.
A navy sequined cocktail dress ends the show on a good note.
The day concludes with two stellar shows. The first comes from Belgian designer Haider Ackermann, a disciple of Raf Simons, who masterly ruches, knots, twists and drapes pieces of fabric - sometimes suede and velvet - to create beautiful minimalist pieces. Tailoring is evident in a precisely cut bronze trouser suit while a markedly creased leather jacket is a favourite. A palette of marine blue, plum, putty grey and sage green makes its way onto floor-length, almost-monastic gowns that leave many editors speechless.
The second stunner is from Stefano Pilati, who nearly maimed his models with towering heels and a flowerbed catwalk last season. The designer has returned to basics with a focused and dramatic collection that, according to the show notes, 'distances himself from luxury in the most obvious form'. The Yves Saint Laurent woman loosens up this season and wears a new silhouette based on voluminous shapes with rounded shoulders that stand away from the body. Softness comes in a series of loose sack dresses tied at the nape and Le Smoking suit is updated in a short dress coat worn with black tights. Colours are basic - mainly black, petrol blue and grey. Fabrics such as dry wool, felt, alpaca and fur laser-cut to look like crocodile skin add texture.
Friday, March 2
While global warming is on everyone's mind, Karl Lagerfeld cools things down with a snowy, ice-rink scene. The Kaiser continues to create clothing that will appeal to Chanel's younger audience and injects rainbow colours and plaid into the house's traditional tweed separates, with belted coats worn with jeans, toe-capped tweed boots and wool scarves. Editors love the new bags, which have quilting that resembles crocodile scales. For the grand finale, the clouds above the catwalk open, releasing 'snow', which almost chokes some in the front row.
Loewe presents plenty of its famous buttersoft leather fashioned into tough biker jackets and short dresses. Jose Enrique Ona Selfa has mainly used a chic palette of black and gold, but a bright turquoise satin dress, gathered at the neck and with puffy sleeves, catches my eye.
At Roger Vivier, designer Bruno Frisoni has gone all out with an extensive collection that includes pink stilettos embellished with bouquets of marabou feathers, gold and black art-deco-inspired wedges, heels carved into roses with thorns and cute Mary Janes that are on my must-have list. For bags, there is the Buckle, which is embellished with everything from sequins to fur, and the everyday Metro tote.
Saturday, March 3
Jean Paul Gaultier opens the Hermes show with a sexy babe perched on a motorcycle. His girls may
be 'born to be wild' but their clothes scream luxury, with pieces that few can afford. These include a floor-length crocodile coat, a blouson crocodile jacket, Fair Isle cashmere jumpers and a leather duster, finished off with newsboy caps. Loyalists will love the new Kelly bag, which is transformed into a cosy shearling-lined muff.
Antonio Marras at Kenzo heats thing up with a hot-blooded collection inspired by the Argentinian tango. Dramatic dresses feature larger-than-life rose prints and skirts have origami bustles. Dancers take to the floor at the end of the show.
Cheung and Kylie Minogue are in the front row to check out Paolo Melim Andersson's debut at Chloe. If change is what Chloe needs then Melim Andersson delivers with a tougher look (platform Doc Martens included) dominated by sporty separates in fabrics such as nylon and PVC. Loose tops and shifts are decorated with mirrored palliates and jewels for the girly girls. And forget the zippered totes - a large briefcase-style bag thrown across the body is the new look.
Sunday, March 4
It's the last day of the collections, with three big guns lined up. Olivier Theyskens' highly anticipated debut at Nina Ricci is first. Using the Tuileries Gardens as a backdrop, Theyskens delivers a collection that is airy and light. Twisted blouson silk jackets, askew dresses with buttons running across the torso, grey denim jeans and a knit jumper with floaty feathers add urban elegance. Theyskens uses a mainly grey palette, but amazing yellow and white gowns spiral around the body, much like the architectural design of the famous L'Air du Temps bottle.
Cheung and Scarlett Johansson, Louis Vuitton's campaign girl, are at Marc Jacobs' last show for the fashion house before he checks into rehab. Inspired by Dutch artist Vermeer, he plays with colours, matching a copper metallic pencil skirt with a green cashmere turtleneck and a red skirt with an orange angora jumper. Evening dresses are in graduated hues or knotted across the body with feathers peaking from the hem. The bags, including a stretched monogram doctor's bag with shearling trim, stand out.
At Lanvin, Alber Elbaz is inspired by Jeanne Lanvin's dress sketches from the 30s for a silhouette that's all about the shoulder. Sexy sleeveless dresses are embellished at the darts and seams while others feature exposed zips. A felt-like coat cascades around the torso in large ruffles. As Elbaz takes his bow, the choice of Love is in the Air on the soundtrack seems apt considering plenty of women will love this beautiful collection. Divia Harilela
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