FASHION Magazine

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Paris feels like the Amazing Race, what with a crammed show schedule, road detours, and invitations that go poof in the night. But what’s Paris without a little drama, oui?

The important thing is that strong themes are already emerging. One is the trend of opulence everyday—like a shimmery brocade skirt with a wool crewneck sweater, as we saw at Marco Zanini’s collection for Rochas. The same idea surfaced at Barbara Bui where a gold foil wrap was worn with navy pants. Don’t save your precious items for special occasions, designers seem to be saying. It’s the fashion equivalent of using your good silver with your everyday china. Do try this one at home.

Welcome to Paris, and welcome to another batch of stunning snaps courtesy of our snap star on the streets, Lewis Mirrett! Yesterday, outside Dries Van Noten‘s Fall 2012 show, Mirrett spotted a myriad of delights, from Anna Wintour‘s luxe-beyond-luxe red fur Prada coat, to Sarah Rutson‘s embroidered floral Celine pencil skirt, to Bette Franke‘s extreme orange lids, still in place post show. Brighten your morning with these glorious photos.

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Ready or not, Kanye West’s PR agency, Karla Otto, has confirmed that his much-talked-about, self-titled collection will be returning to Paris Fashion Week on March 6.

On Sunday, the rapper-turned-designer tweeted, “Pardon me…do you have crepe chiffon?” Yeezy does red carpet? Might be a step in the right direction in comparison to his last production, which has been described as “being subjected to an hour long MRI scan—but not as much fun.”

So what do we know about the line so far? Well, West made clear in his now infamous Twitter rant that the name of his self-funded line is Kanye West and not DW. Also, he’s been working in London and getting some much-needed help from big-time designers but details of the show have been kept under wraps. Here’s hoping for another informative two-hour twitter post to fill in the rest of the blanks.

We have to give it to him for getting back on the horse, but if this collection is another flop we hope it will at least inspire a Taylor Swift–esque tell-all rap song?

Ah Paris, its finally time that we bid you adieu. As we part ways (seas), we look back at the last day of shows, when we caught some of our biggest stars. Look out for another model extravaganza featuring Kate Moss and Natalia Vodianova, as well as celebs like Nicole Ritchie and Joel Madden. We also spotted one piece from Prada’s spring collection, which begs the question: when can we order?

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In our second last batch of Paris photos, we spotted top models Karlie Kloss, Joan Smalls, and Eniko Mihalik leaving the Chanel show, as well as these curiously veiled ladies kicking it outside the Tuileries. Check em out.

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With the rumour mill still churning about Marc Jacobs’ impending new home (or house, actually) at Christian Dior, the Louis Vuitton show was one of the hottest tickets in town. Starting promptly at 10 a.m., glam front-row guests like Olivia Wilde, Natalia Vodianova, and Delphine Arnault (daughter of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault) quickly took their seats as a giant round curtain went up to reveal the most magical sight: a whitewashed carousel packed with the show’s models atop moving horses. One by one they stepped off the carousel and walked the circular runway in gorgeous confections that looked like they came straight from Ladurée: organza-wrapped dresses, pastel-coloured laser-cut lace skirts, powdered crocodile bags, flower appliqués, diamond wishbone necklaces, mirrored woven metallic bags, and Mary Jane mules. As for that famous name who closed the show? Wearing a sequined and feathered minidress and tiara, Princess Kate (as in Moss) was the final fairy to grace this fashion fairytale.

If you thought we’d somehow run out of ways to wow with our Parisian style snaps, you thought wrong. Today, we present 54 wows in the form of Alexa Chung, Jessica Biel, Salma Hayek, and a bunch of stunning accessory shots. Go ahead, wow it up.

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Sculpted bags that mimic pearly seashells at Chanel; a cross-sectional view of a jacket’s shoulder pads at Lanvin; treated silk so slick you’d swear it was leather at Balenciaga; and intricately embroidered ruffles at Yves Saint Laurent. When it comes to decadent details in a collection these French heavyweight houses win hands down.

As the heat rages on in Paris, we snap another group of multi-braceleted, heel-wearing models exiting the shows. This time around, we caught Arizona Muse (she is killing us in this photo), Kasia Struss, Alana Zimmer, and more!

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With a thriving ready-to-wear brand, several collaboration projects on the go, four kids, a dashing hubby (publisher Alasdhair Willis) and an icon for a Dad (Sir Paul!) it’s little wonder we bow down to Stella McCartney. Who doesn’t want to be a Stella girl? She’s effortlessly chic but not perfectly turned out; she is a minimalist but has a playful side; she is confident and a great confidante. In the modeling world a Stella girl looks like Miranda Kerr, Natasha Poly, Natalia Vodianova, or Anja Rubik, fitting given that they all walked in McCartney’s Spring 2012 show. And what a show it was: crisp white jackets with mesh inserts, Baroque-inspired embellishment, a shockwave of royal blue, tunics with side slits (a big theme this week), casual pieces in a graphic wave motif reminiscent of silk pajamas, paisley (welcome back!), one-shouldered dresses, onyx-white clutches, sporty flatforms, and quilted shoulder bags tied in a bow.

Another hot day in Paris, another hot batch of photos including snaps of all the models leaving Saturday’s Viktor & Rolf show. Look out for one after another in a long line of beauties, including Magdalena Frackowiak, Miranda Kerr, Daphne Groeneveld, and more.

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Paris Fashion Week is a fairytale, though my battered and blistered feet might indicate otherwise. From the characters to the costumes to the sets, every sunrise here marks the beginning of another magical chapter. So, it wasn’t all that surprising when a bona fide Princess (Charlene Wittstock, Prince Albert of Monaco’s new bride) walked into […]

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