Fashion Week!

It's Fashion Week today! Finally. The weather is not as nice as these last days, but it doesn't look like it's going to rain. I will be working with Gareth Pugh's PR team this evening at the Palais de Tokyo, which is really exciting. I seriously can't wait to see his new collection! Also, there is a Ponystep afterparty tonight at Chacha from 2:00 am, if you feel like coming. Before that, there is a private afterparty (in which I very much hope I'll be, because I might just fall asleep in the middle of Ponystep otherwise). Anyway, expect details about Gareth's collection and the front row soon.

I have received an invitation to discover the new Stella McCartney store in the Palais Royal gardens. By bringing it into the shop you might have a present and the possibility of a personal shopper on command. This is the link: http://ase.emv3.com/HM?a=A9X7CkD7ULW4sOWEIOeyTYnggQ.
If you plan to be in the city until the 31st of October and spending an insane amount of money in some of the insanely desirable chantilly lace dresses from McCartney's last collection, it is definitely worthwile. And the shop is quite something.

Fendi

Milan Fashion Week has now ended... All in all, my favourite show was Fendi. I didn't quite understand what the music had to do in it, but I simply loved the sheer textures, clean colours and delicate details of the collection. It was elegant but not too ladylike, ideal for young feminine girls. And those shoes! Sublime and impossible. No wonder all of the models walked so carefully and some of them were a step away from falling noisily across the catwalk.
So the whole Fashion Fauna is migrating again, this time coming to Paris. From tomorrow on, I will be the one to suffer on heels instead of comfortably writing from home (wearing my fetish flipflops). Interesting shows tomorrow: Tim Van Steenbergen, Limi Feu, Rochas and of course... Gareth Pugh at the Palais deTokyo. I still don't know how many shows I'll see because, frankly, it gets quite tiring running all around town in my 12 cm sandals, since I still don't have a car with a chauffeur waiting for me after every show. Maybe the best thing about Fashion week is "forgetting" some of the shows and going instead to Angelina (226 Rue de Rivoli) for tea and cakes. But I'll try and do my best this time. And of course I'll keep you posted on shows, front row, street style, parties and general gossip.

Peggy. Twiggy. Veruschka. Jean. Penelope.

Fun. Cool. Chic. Please let's go back to the 60's mood.

Favourite catwalk looks from yesterday...

Luisa Beccaria was very Beccaria, as usual. It was a 50's-inspired collection, all soft and floaty... I quite liked the first look.

Blumarine is always about Italian authenticity, fun and sellable pieces. The collection had several different themes; I liked the hippie-ish tye dye dresses, they were flattering and easy to wear. They made me think of a very expensive version of Woodstock... Which reminds me I have to go and see Ang Lee's new film, Taking Woodstock. My friend Vanni has been recently obsessed with Joan Baez, just as I have been obsessed with Hotel California by the Eagles and Paul Morrissey's Heat. I predict a wave of hippie fever...

California Dreamin'

Milan Fashion Week started yesterday, and... some of the shows were not at all my cup of tea. Nevertheless, Prada's brilliant S/S 2010 collection made up for the whole day. It was light and optimistic, and it mixed some winks to the Italian "dolce vita" with a very 1970's Californian spirit. The pieces were minimal and well constructed yet the prints were so evocative... It will no doubt be one of the biggest hits of the season.

I also really liked the hair and makeup in the show. Geranium-red satin lipstick looks lovely on the girls, and I think a washed-down version of this hairdo is really easy to achieve and you can look naïve, chic and retro in it, specially if you have an innocent, big-eyed, "I didn't do it" face.

Moschino Cheap and Chic was my other favourite show of the day. It was in the antipodes of Prada ( which is one of the most intellectual brands in the fashion scene whilst Moschino is all about an extremely cute, naïve and gullible view of fashion- which, ultimately, is a critique in itself to the fashion system). The show was all about pink, yellow, black and white; whith many 60's references in the shapes and prints and continuing the general delicate and powdery mood of London's catwalks with bows, flowers and broderie anglaise. It was young, feminine and fresh.

Changing the subject, I have received an invitation to a Sandro stock sale... All clothes are -30 and -40%, which is definitely worth it considering some of the lovely silk dresses and tops, which are simple but fabulous and super easy to combine. The sale is on at 24 Rue de Sévigné from 10h30 to 19h until saturday, and from 13h to 19h30 on sunday. And you can get your invite here: http://www.mylittleparis.com/ecards/preview-ventesmaje_20090924.html?IdTis=XTC-DYUJ-UL7XX-DD-DCOGA-DA1M

So, if you're lucky enough to be here during the weekend, go on and indulge on french clothing!

Best of London Fashion Week

I haven't had the opportunity of going to London for the last Fashion Week, I was busy in Paris participating in some new projects. But I have had reports from some of my friends, and gathered some conclusions:
1. London is no doubt becoming hotter and hotter in the mainstream fashion scene.
2. British designers no longer have to go to the world to become known- the world is now coming to them.
3. London is a cool, young, easy-going yet fashionable city. But that's no news to anyone, is it?

There have been some shows everybody is still talking about... The biggest new trend is light colours mixed with feminine, sultry shapes. I'm particularly happy about this, since I have always liked it! Burberry came back to London for the 25th anniversary of the Fashion Week with a display of drapings and short dresses... Some of them were absolutely lovely and covetable, but I still have a softspot for the more classic trench coat.

Christopher Kane was eclectic and surprising, as usual. He has gone from fluoro-obsession to ladylike to... Lolita goes picnincking! Good and bad taste mix incredibly well in this collection, in which something as classic and waspy as vichy print mixes with sharp shapes. It was disturbing and fascinating.

Luella Bartley has also changed with time. Her spring-summer 2010 has plain colours that made me think of Marc Jacobs and reminiscing 60's shapes that made me think of Balenciaga. It was a grown-up collection accessorized with girly details...Some of the dresses were indeed very cute.

Pringle of Scotland has gone back to its basics, which means good quality,and spring chunky knits mixed with floaty, ruffly short skirts.

Marios Schwab made a true fashion statement by being able to mix a deep historic research with commercially-successful pieces. His organza layerings and drapings created strange, almost sculptural proportions.

Everybody is now coming back from London, and some of my lucky friends are already on a trip to Milan, so I'll soon have more information on the spring-summer 2010 collections.

Vogue

Anna Wintour inspired "The Devil wears Prada". Diana Vreeland has reached the status of fashion myth. Helmut Newton, William Klein and Bert Stern, among others, created some of the most influential images of the century. Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Truman Capote ...worked for the magazine. Vogue, no matter what, is no doubt one of the most iconic publications of the last 100 years. Surrounded by rumours, terrible stories, funny anecdotes and a lot of idolatry, one thing is true about this Condé Nast magazine: throughout its story, it has been the result of a lot of efforts and long hours of hard work, a very particular view on fashion which relates to good taste, elegance and glamour, and a series of contributions by the best professionals in the industry. Vogue continues now to catch the "air du temps" and to give us a beautiful, idealised vision of fashion. To celebrate all these years, there will be a Vogue Covers exhibitions during October in the Champs Elysées in Paris: some of the most beautful and original Vogue covers since its creation in the key date of 1920... Essenetial.