Collection Line-Up and Stand-Outs

Save the best for last. That’s what fashion insiders say when they talk about Paris Fashion Week. Throughout the month of February designers, editors, buyers and fashion enthusiasts gather in the four proclaimed fashion capitals of the world: New York, London, Milan and Paris to view the Autumn/Winter 2008-2009 collections. Each city attracts a certain type of designer. New York is known for heralding American Chic, London for its out-there designs, Milan for its intricate fantastical creations, and Paris, with its high-end, yet wearable couture.
Paris Fashion Week began on Feb. 23, with four new, less known designers. Portugese designer Fatima Lopes showed at the Westin Hotel to an almost full house. Effervescent pink lighting shone down on models whose deer-in-the-headlights faces revealed their lack of experience. The front row was filled with French press, public relations’ people and a few famous Parisian faces.
Not many of the week’s international audience had arrived yet. Milan’s fashion week was wrapping up its final shows. And some of the celebrities who can be counted on to fill seats were in Los Angeles, attending the Academy Awards ceremony.
But fashion lovers did trickle in to view Rick Owen’s show on Feb. 24. Stacey Kosene attended the show to get an idea of the clothes she wanted in her Indianapolis-based boutique, French Pharmacie.
“This season he added to his layering 
effect with cashmere leggings and shorts with the most 
phenomenal boots that give a leather leggings look,” said Kosene, a mother of four in her fourties.
Style.com labeled Rick Owens as one of the top 10 collections for the fall. The site contributed his success to his structured jackets.
Kosene said he has always been famous for his jackets.
“ You can never go wrong with any style in
any one of his typical fabulous colors....dark shadow, pearl, black and 
dust,” she said. “If you buy just one piece get a jacket!”
Dior kicked off the tent events in the Tuileries on Feb. 25. Only big name designers like Dior, Christian Lacroix, Celine, Nina Ricci and Sonia Rykiel were able to attract audiences large enough to fill the white tents in the Tuileries gardens located between two grand monuments: the Louvre and Champs-Elysees.
Actress Lucy Liu walked in solo wearing a vintage white skirt suit by Dior. The next day, www.style.com and www.fashionweekdaily.com raved about Liu’s style.
Vivica A. Fox walked into Christian Lacroix on the arm of America’s Next Top Model judge J. Alexander. The magnificent pairing strutted past the paparazzi and straight to the tent entrance, not even bothering to show security their tickets.
After the show, Fox raved about the designer’s new collection to Style.com reporters.
“There was a lot of wow effect, which is exactly why I came to my very first Paris Fashion Week. There were jackets that I just thought were out of sight,” she told the online magazine.
Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga kicked off the Feb. 26 events at 9:30 a.m. at an undisclosed location. All but seven of the ninety designers revealed the location of their show on www.modeaparis.com. The designers that gave the words “see invitation” instead of an address on the website wanted to prevent an excessive number of uninvited photographers, journalists, and fashion students arriving at the show an hour beforehand to ask for tickets.
The true craziness of Paris Fashion Week began on Feb. 28 when a hooded Kanye West hustled past the paparazzi into the Stella McCartney show with fiancé Alexis Phiffer on his arm. The celebrity-supported designer and daughter of rock royalty Paul McCartney showcased form flattering velvet dresses and youthful, sheer tops.
Other stars made it to Paris for the weekend. On Friday, Feb. 29, Rihanna, Julianne Moore, and the Olsen twins watched as Chanel pumped out another successful show with a new twist on the classic tweed jacket. Designer Karl Lagerfeld left the hemming untrimmed on the jackets to make them appear more youthful.
On Mar. 2, Alber Elbaz capped off the end of fashion week with a stunning black and navy collection for Lanvin. Elbaz wound ribbon around the body to create tops, skirts, and dresses. The end result landed Lanvin on Style.com’s top 10 collections of fall 2008.
For more information about the Autumn/Winter 2008-2009 collections, visit Style.com