Two shows converged at the industrial warehouse setting of Halle Freyssinet in eastern Paris. Sonia Rykiel’s show was followed immediately by John Galliano’s, and both drew many fashionably-dressed people out in the bitter cold.

A great bright yellow parka adds great color in winter. (Despite the fact that it was a March day, it was freezing.) Note the cropped trousers and oversized scarf. On him: black fur. It’s not just for women anymore. Excellent sunglasses on both of them. Continue reading…

Ann Demeulemeester’s modern goth aesthetic is often described as edgy and avant garde; the same description could also be applied to her fans. On the runway, the long, lean, black silhouettes of her fall 2010 collection were broken up by flashes of red patent leather detailing. Outside in the courtyard of the Couvent des Cordeliers, black, minimalist clothing was favored by many of the guests, too.

She has this androgynous petit gamin look that’s just fascinating. A good example of how the guests can really bring a designer’s vision to life at a fashion show.
Continue reading…

Viktor & Rolf took over the tent at the Tuileries and attracted mobs of onlookers on this Saturday in Paris. Editors and buyers mixed with French fashion bloggers and paparazzi. The vast, wide open space and very windy day made the dry grounds of the Tuileries feel like something out of Lawrence of Arabia – with more fashion.

A patterned cape and exaggeratedly long black legs with wedge boots. Continue reading…

With three stores in Paris and another opening in New York’s Soho in April, French designer Isabel Marant has developed quite a following. Her distinctly urban, cool-girl clothes work really well on the streets of Paris or anywhere else that calls for a tough chic aesthetic. A couple of the guests looked familiar for a reason: they were spotted the day before in Marant’s store in St. Germain.

A fluffy gray fur jacket catches the March afternoon light in the courtyard of the Couvent des Cordeliers. Continue reading…

How many generations of fashionable Parisians have taken a turn around the Tuileries to show off their exquisite clothes? The tradition continues, with editors, buyers and chic Christian Dior customers walking from the Place de la Concorde to the tent that housed Friday’s Dior show.

One thing is very different from olden times – there are many more photographers! Continue reading…

New York Fashion Week may be over, but Paris Fashion Week is just a few days away! Look for more Paris street chic and restaurant coverage here beginning next Thursday, March 4. We can’t wait!

Though the plot lines of the show may be a little over-the-top, the tony, polished and sophisticated New York world of Gossip Girl does in fact exist. If you ever need proof, you need only go to an Oscar de la Renta show.

Models after the show. The models’ glam hair and the retro preppy looks on some of the younger guests reminded me of that seminal movie about the Upper East Side in the ’80s, Metropolitan. Continue reading…

Michael Kors‘ popular appeal comes from more than just Project Runway: His clothes are both luxurious and wearable. Attendees at last week’s show included the usual set of editors and buyers plus deep-pocketed customers and the stylists who represent them.

Elle’s Kate Lanphear in a chic drop-waist, double-breasted gray coat, black sunglasses and an onyx ring. This is what’s so great about her style: it’s very personal. When everyone else is doing a cinched waist coat, she does a dropped-waist coat. Continue reading…

It’s called Rodar-TAY, darling. A select few braved the frosty atmosphere for the Rodarte show and arrived wearing some lovely, warm clothes for the occasion.

Sometimes, all it takes is a coat in just the right color, like the peachy nude of this overcoat, paired here with a fur hat and beige scarf. Continue reading…

Marc Jacobs has always been a master at creating fairy tales, so it seemed more than fitting that on the night of the Marc Jacobs show, snow began to fall as guests left the scene. The snow globe effect prolonged the magical feeling of the show itself, where “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from Frederick Sanchez’s soundtrack set the stage for a dreamy collection.

A tweed menswear-style double breasted coat and satchel bag echoed the relatively conservative (for Marc Jacobs) clothes in the fall 2010 collection. Continue reading…