FASHION Magazine

There was so much fabulousness going on outside the Viktor & Rolf show on Saturday—think Karlie Kloss with moody stained lips and stringy hair, Anna Dello Russo in Big Bird fur, and Gareth Pugh looking as edgy as his own collections—but alas, none of it could contend with Katy Perry, her vibrant cobalt Viktor & Rolf swirl trench, or her dyed-to-match Wonder Woman-blue do. The latest in a string of candy (and comic) coloured dye jobs was all the buzz all weekend long, and so it’s only fitting that it get a photo tribute here!

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I am just back from another showroom visit, this time at Lanvin. I am still reeling from the beauty and all-out luxe. Here’s what I learned in four points:

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1.   The shapely jewel-tone dresses that came down the runway three evenings ago—surprise surprise!—turned out to made from bra padding, giving them a soft but substantial sculptural quality.

Word: Élan vital Meaning: Vital impetus, or the current of evolution. Usage: “When I was just last in New York, I went for a walk, leaving Fifth Avenue and the Business section behind me, into the crowded streets near the Bowery. And while I was there, I had a sudden feeling of relief and confidence. […]

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Judging by all the coatless wonders skulking around outside the shows this weekend, we’d say that things are heating up in Paris. But alas, the 4°C readout on our screens says otherwise. If fashion week has taught us anything, it’s that you dress for the cameras despite those frigid temps.

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The energy of a runway show cannot be beat—assuming of course, that you’re listening to a rocking DJ, perusing kickass clothes, and ogling Tilda Swinton in front row. If not, a visit to a designer’s showroom can be just as satisfying.

Taking the time to get up close and personal with this latest batch of collections seems even more crucial than in most seasons, given the major trompe l’oeil layering trend that’s impossible to dissect as models rush by. I was trying to figure out whether an item was constructed of one layer or three as I headed to the Carven showroom.

Today’s batch of photos proves that, well, you can never have too much beauty outside one Paris fashion week. Pre and post Balmain and Christian Dior, we caught everyone from Karlie Kloss, to Joan Smalls, to Kate King, to Magdalena Frackowiak, to Anja Rubik, to Alana Zimmer (and there’s more!) striking a pose for the cameras. Check out our best shots.

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Walking past the Meurice Hotel this afternoon, I passed a cluster of girls around the front door. Something told me they were waiting for someone famous who would be headed across the street to the Tuileries and the tent where the Viktor & Rolf show was being held. A short while later, as I sat in my seat, Katy Perry breezed past me in a blue coat and blue updo, settling in just metres away. And the paparazzi went wild.

The premise behind L’Odyssée de Cartier sounds super for a fashion shoot—but even better for a three-minute film by Bruno Aveillan. The noted commercial director dreamed up a scenario that was anything but commercial—a diamond panther, sitting in the window of the Place Vendôme boutique, bursts into a live panther and escapes on an odyssey. […]

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Peekaboo. It’s probably the first game many of us ever played. And designers here in Paris are proposing that we play again, at least with our clothes. Panels of sheer and opaque, choppy layers, and tops and dresses with split sides have been strutting the catwalks here on day three of the Fall 2012 collections in Paris.

Hussein Chalayan showed a black shift with giant oval cutout over red crepe and a brown leather jacket sliced at the side to reveal another layer of the same skin. Thighs swished under sheer panels at Vionnet. Vests with abbreviated backs were belted over dresses at Roland Mouret. Today at Isabel Marant, suedes with laser-cut western motifs were shown.

And here is your quick jot of more top trends in the making:

Looks like we’ve hit the motherlode! Spotted outside Balenciaga yesterday were both of the house’s fragrance faces: Kristen Stewart and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Amidst the mass of celebrities, we also spotted Prada’s spring flames and retro car prints pretty much, well, everywhere. Glad to know that everyone loves the collection as much as we do!

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Foie gras canapés and black truffles galore: It was just another little Hermès cocktail party at the Faubourg store. Out, and I mean way out of the ordinary, though, were the four magnificent haute joallerie pieces created by Pierre Hardy. There were solid gold and diamond Birkin and Kelly bags, both about the size of evening clutch. There was also a gold mesh bag with diamond bit handle and heart-shaped tangle of diamond chaine d’ancre strands. Each piece can be worn on the wrist and or hung on a wall—these are true works of art. Hardy also showed a number of new diamond bangles and cuffs for Hermès —each more classic and covetable than the next.

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Fashion show audiences are a mix of customers and the media, and we each tend to read what comes down the runway differently. I am looking for what is new. Customers are looking for that and more. They want to know that the expensive piece they bought last season isn’t going to look dated. So when I told a young fashion enthusiast after the Mugler show that the collection was full of peplums, she practically did a cartwheel. “I can still wear them?” she beamed. Uh huh. And all the rest of us who haven’t bought one yet might want to join in the fun. Of course we probably won’t go quite as far as the undulating peplums at Mugler. In white with fox sleeves and downy helmets, the overall effect was a bird in flight.