Students Experience the Shows Too!

A few SMU students studying abroad in Paris watched models strut down the runways of Paris Fashion Week, which started Feb. 23.
Paris was the last stop of a month-long preview of designers’ Autumn/Winter 2008-2009 collections. While there is no cost to attend the Paris shows, every person must have a ticket to enter. Students and journalists without tickets arrived an hour beforehand to wait outside the shows and try to sweet-talk the security guards or event coordinator to let them enter.
Brittany Connors, an SMU student studying in Paris, waited outside the Christian Lacroix show for a ticket.
If a designer’s show isn’t completely packed, students and journalists are allowed to stand behind the seats to give the appearance of a full house. Crowds of students and journalists waited hours for the slim chance of entering one of the more prestigious shows, like Louis Vuitton or Giambattista Valli.
“Even though I didn't end up getting tickets to the bigger name shows it didn't really matter because to me just experiencing the ambiance of fashion week is rewarding enough,” said Connors, a junior English major.
Connors was able to catch smaller, but equally famous, shows like Emanuel Ungaro and Costume Nationale at the Carrousel du Louvre. The Carrousel is located in the underground floor of the Louvre museum. Students can stand outside the entrance for twenty minutes and gain access to any one of the shows being featured in the Carrousel’s rooms.
During the month long fashion events, different designers showcased their collections in one of four cities: New York, London, Milan or Paris. Each city attracts a certain type of designer. New York is known for heralding American Chic, London for its edgy designs, Milan for its detail-focused creations, and Paris as the hometown of haute couture.
Savannah Engel, another SMU student studying in Paris, attended two shows with Connors.
“Waiting outside is not so fabulous. You are very vulnerable…but the people are amazing, watching them come in and organize everything,” said Engel, a 21-year-old Art History and Business major.
Engel said that standing outside was worth the wait after she got into Barbara Bui, her first ever fashion show.
“It was amazing, much shorter than one would imagine. I always thought the shows would last longer or go by a lot slower...but Barbara Bui lasted for only ten minutes!” she said.
One of the season’s new designers, Requiem, showed in the salle soufflot in the Carrousel du Louvre. Requiem’s designers Raffaele Borriello and Julien Desselle created high waisted pencil skirts and flowing sheer tops in a color palette of black, royal purple and mustard yellow.
Editors of Vogue’s website, www.style.com, said Requiem’s first Paris runway collection landed Borriello and Desselle a spot on the list of the top 10 up and coming designers.
Connors attended the Requiem show and was surprised they received the attention.
“I liked the ruffles and high-waisted ensembles… but I wasn't moved by it, nothing really seemed very innovative,” she said.