The "Next Step" for Fatima Lopes may be stepping down

The Portugese designer Fatima Lopes may have called her winter 08/09 collection the Next Step because she was hoping to enter the big ring of well-known designer. Lopes showed her collection on February 23, the first official day of Paris' Fashion Week. Any collection shown on the first day will most likely be seen by fashion-crazed students (like me), international journalists that don't speak French (or English) and a few B-list Parisians starlets.
Lopes describes her collection as a very structured, elegant futuristic style with a nod to the 40's. I thought it was like the visual equivalent of a teacher scratching her nails down the chalkboard. The stage lights faded to black then shot neon pink headlights on the first model to walk on the runway. Poor models. Only half of them remembered to pose long enough on the runway, and as a result were yelled by the photographers trying to capture the perfect pose for their bosses. Three dresses fell off the models shoulders, and as a result flashed the audience (only intentional nudity is accepted. Otherwise it means the clothes are a poor fit!) . To my horror only two looks were applauded by one dapper young man who was probably trying to be nice. I truly felt bad for Lopes.
However, there were a few bright moments in the show. The high waisted skirts were right on target, and they had a few looks that reminded me very much of Miuccia Prada's darling lace numbers in Milan. The picture above is one of Lopes' safer looks. It isn't bad, but it shows nothing new. I looked for one of Lopes' more typical looks online, but her show didn't even make style.com. There were only a few photos found on Yahoo of her show.
Even though this show was somewhat helter-skelter, you have to admire anyone who has enough backing and support to be one of the few designers selected to be a part of Paris Fashion Week. However, I pray she veers away from the futuristic and focuses more on her so-called tribute to the 40s. The helmut-like headbands were a little too much.