Paris Fashion Week Schedule: Pret-A-Porter Autumn/Winter 2008
Saturday, February 2008, the 23rd
4:30 pm IMPASSE DE LA DÉFENSE Restaurant Le Train Bleu - Salle Dorée - Gare de Lyon
5:30 pm FATIMA LOPES Hôtel Westin - Salon Concorde - 3 rue de Castiglione - Paris 1er
6:30 pm DÉVASTÉE L’Académie - 14 rue Royale - Paris 8e
7:30 pm IVANAHELSINKI Hôtel Westin - Salon Concorde - 3 rue de Castiglione - Paris 1er
Sunday, February 2008, the 24th
10:00 am JEFEN Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
11:00 am LIE SANG BONG Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
12:00 pm CHER MICHEL KLEIN Intercontinental Paris Le Grand - 2 rue Scribe - Paris 9e
2:00 pm RAJESH PRATAP SINGH Espace Commines - 17 rue Commines - Paris 3e
3:00 pm BALMAIN Hôtel Westin - 3 rue de Castiglione - Paris 1er
4:00 pm BRUNO PIETERS Galerie Nikki Diana Marquardt - 9 place des Vosges - Paris 4e
5:00 pm MANISH ARORA BETC EURO RSCG - 85 rue du faubourg Saint-Martin - Paris 10e
6:00 pm RICK OWENS École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts - Salle Melpomène - 13 quai Malaquais - Paris 6e
7:00 pm BLESS 22 avenue Marx Dormoy - Paris 18e
8:00 pm AF VANDEVORST Maison des Métallos - 94 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud - Paris 11e
Monday, February 2008, the 25th
10:00 am ATSURO TAYAMA Salle Pleyel - 252 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré - Paris 8e
11:00 am VÉRONIQUE LEROY Espace Pierre Cardin - 1/3 avenue Gabriel - Paris 8e
12:00 pm GASPARD YURKIEVICH Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
1:00 pm ROBERT NORMAND Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
2:30 pm CHRISTIAN DIOR Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er
3:30 pm ISABEL MARANT Espace Eiffel - Quai Branly - Paris 7e
4:30 pm SHARON WAUCHOB Palais de Tokyo - 13 avenue du Président Wilson - Paris 16e
5:30 pm UNDERCOVER La Cigale - 120 boulevard Rochechouart - Paris 18e
6:30 pm MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy - Salle Marcel Cerdan - Porte 28 - 8 boulevard de Bercy - Paris 12e
7:30 pm VIVIENNE WESTWOOD Hôtel Westin - 3 rue de Castiglione - Paris 1er
8:30 pm YOHJI YAMAMOTO Palais de la Bourse - Place de la bourse - Paris 2e
Tuesday, February 2008, the 26th
09:30 am BALENCIAGA See invitation
10:30 am JUNYA WATANABE See invitation
11:30 am TSUMORI CHISATO Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
12:30 pm MARITHÉ & FRANCOIS GIRBAUD Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Le Nôtre*
1:30 pm LUTZ Espace Pierre Cardin - 1/3 avenue Gabriel - Paris 8e
2:30 pm VIKTOR & ROLF See invitation
3:30 pm ISSEY MIYAKE Musée de l’homme - 17 place du Trocadéro - Paris 16e
4:30 pm ANN DEMEULEMEESTER Couvent des Cordeliers - 15 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine - Paris 6e
5:30 pm COMME DES GARCONS See invitation
7:00 pm JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 325 rue Saint-Martin - Paris 3e
8:00 pm VÉRONIQUE BRANQUINHO Maison des Métallos - 94 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud - Paris 11e
9:00 pm LOEWE Opéra Comique - place Boieldieu - Paris 2e
Wednesday, February 2008, the 27th
10:00 am KARL LAGERFELD Espace Eiffel - Quai Branly - Paris 7e
11:00 am ANDREW GN Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
12:00 pm AKRIS Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
1:00 pm EMANUEL UNGARO Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Le Nôtre*
2:00 pm COSTUME NATIONAL Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
3:00 pm DRIES VAN NOTEN Manège du Grand Palais - entrée porte C - avenue Franklin Roosevelt - Paris 8e
4:00 pm CHRISTIAN LACROIX Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er
5:00 pm REQUIEM Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
6:00 pm GIVENCHY Carreau du Temple - 3 rue Dupetit Thouars - Paris 3e
7:30 pm HUSSEIN CHALAYAN See invitation
8:30 pm BERNHARD WILLHELM Maison des Métallos - 94 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud - Paris 11e
Thursday, February 2008, the 28th
09:30 am STELLA MCCARTNEY Carreau du Temple - 3 rue Dupetit Thouars - Paris 3e
10:30 am VALENTINO Palais de Chaillot - 1 place du Trocadéro - Paris 16e
11:30 am LÉONARD Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
12:30 pm BARBARA BUI Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Le Nôtre*
1:30 pm ANNE VALÉRIE HASH Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
2:30 pm GIAMBATTISTA VALLI Espace Eiffel - Quai Branly - Paris 7e
3:30 pm ZUCCA École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts - Salle Melpomène - 13 quai Malaquais - Paris 6e
4:30 pm CELINE Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er
5:30 pm HAIDER ACKERMANN Couvent des Cordeliers - 15 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine - Paris 6e
6:30 pm SOPHIA KOKOSALAKI Palais de Tokyo - 13 avenue du Président Wilson - Paris 16e
8:00 pm YVES SAINT LAURENT Grand Palais - avenue Winston Churchill - Paris 8e
Friday, February 2008, the 29th
10:30 am CHANEL Grand Palais - avenue du Général Eisenhower - Paris 8e
11:30 am AGNÈS B. Palais de Tokyo - 13 avenue du Président Wilson - Paris 16e
12:30 pm JEAN-CHARLES DE CASTELBAJAC Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
1:30 pm ALENA AKHMADULLINA Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
2:30 pm SONIA RYKIEL Espace Ephémère Tuileries – Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er
3:30 pm JUNKO SHIMADA École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts - Salle Melpomène - 13 quai Malaquais - Paris 6e
4:30 pm RUE DU MAIL (by Martine Sitbon) Couvent des Cordeliers - 15 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine - Paris 6e
5:30 pm ES ORCHESTRES La Sorbonne - 47 rue des Ecoles - Paris 5e
7:00 pm JOSE CASTRO Parking du Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy - 8 boulevard de Bercy - Paris 12e
8:00 pm ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy - Salle Marcel Cerdan - Porte 28 - 8 boulevard de Bercy - Paris 12e
Saturday, March 2008, the 1st
10:30 am KENZO Carreau du Temple - 3 rue Dupetit Thouars - Paris 3e
11:30 am ELIE SAAB Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme *
12:30 pm WUNDERKIND Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
1:30 pm PAUL & JOE Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Le Nôtre*
2:30 pm COMMUUN Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
3:30 pm CHLOÉ Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries - Paris 1er
4:30 pm MARTIN GRANT École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts - Salle Melpomène - 13 quai Malaquais - Paris 6e
5:30 pm HERMÈS Espace Eiffel - Quai Branly - Paris 7e
6:30 pm LIMI FEU Couvent des Cordeliers - 15 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine - Paris 6e
8:00 pm JOHN GALLIANO Grande Halle de la Villette - 211 avenue Jean Jaurès - Paris 19e
Sunday, March 2008, the 2nd
10:00 am VANESSA BRUNO 8 rue de la Pierre Levée - Paris 11e
11:00 am NINA RICCI Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries - Paris 1er
12:00 pm CHAPURINLe Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
1:00 pm YUKI TORII Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
2:00 pm COLLETTE DINNIGAN Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
3:00 pm LOUIS VUITTON See invitation
4:30 pm SAKINA M’SA Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
5:30 pm LANVIN Espace Eiffel - Quai Branly - Paris 7e
6:30 pm MOON YOUNG HEE École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts - Salle Melpomène - 13 quai Malaquais - Paris 6e
7:30 pm MIU MIU See invitation
8:30 pm CHADO RALPH RUCCI Couvent des Cordeliers - 15 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine - Paris 6e
* Le Carrousel du Louvre, 99, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Valentino’s Retirement Causes Those Around Him to Retire, Too
From today’s PageSix:
“RUSSIAN model Natalia Vodianova, 25, retired from the catwalk last week after walking in Valentino Garavani’s final show in Paris. To celebrate, the mother of three is taking Valentino to Moscow for a week and then to Brazil for Carnivale. “She may do another show in the future,” said a source, “but only for $500,000 or this large pink diamond she’s had her eye on.” The night of Valentino’s last show, his longtime right-hand man, Carlos Souza, also retired, and his head of public relations, Annelise Peterson, left to join Alberta Ferretti next month.”
Source: NY Post
Valentino Bids Farewell to the Fashion Industry
Italian fashion legend Valentino Garavani bid farewell to the fashion industry with one final runway show at Paris Fashion Week. The Women’s Haute Couture Spring 2008 Collection was typically Valentino — full of stunning dresses.
Unfortunately, Valentino did not have kind words to mark his departure from the fashion world:
“This environment is no longer stimulating,” he sniffed to journalists after the launch of his final haute couture show in Paris. “I certainly won’t miss the fashion world. It’s ruined! Everybody’s doing the same things. What’s missing is challenge, creativity, cheerfulness. These days it’s all about numbers! To continue working in an environment which says nothing in particular to me would be a bore.”
At the end of the runway show, the catwalk was filled with models wearing the exact same red dress: a signature of Valentino’s contribution to fashion. It was a perfect send-off for Valentino!
More photos from the final Valentino women’s Haute Couture collection below:
Source: The Independent:
Karl Lagerfeld Takes a Stand on Size Zero Models at Paris Fashion Week
Here is an article from the Telegraph about Karl Lagerfeld’s Paris Fashion Week Show and his refusal to allow overly skinny models to showcase his collection.
Paris Fashion Week: Lagerfeld takes a stand on size zero, by Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director at Paris Fashion Week
Karl Lagerfeld revealed in Paris he had taken a dramatic stand on the size zero issue by rejecting three models for his Chanel catwalk show yesterday (Friday) because they were ‘too skinny’.
“It is the first time I have ever done something like this,” he said.
“I have nothing against skinny girls. But these were terrible. They looked as if they had grown up in a Third World country with no food to eat.
“I sent them back to the agency. I did not think they should be modeling,” said the designer.
He described the three models – who he did not identify – as being so thin as to look ‘almost deformed’ and agreed his stance may persuade other designers to follow suit.
The 45 girls who were accepted to model the Chanel spring/summer 2008 collection ranged in size from lean to luscious. Gemma Ward, the blonde “surfer-babe” from Australia, in particular, looked positively curvaceous in a skimpy bikini.
The show was staged in the Grand Palais, on a dark blue and silver star-print stage, surmounted with a 30ft high bow – stars and bows being two of the themes of the collection – before one of the largest celebrity front rows seen this week in Paris.
Among those sitting ringside were Victoria Beckham, in a bright green, 1950’s vintage dress; the actress, Kirsten Dunst; the rock, rap and pop singers, Courtney Love, Kanye West, Lily Allen and Alison Mosshart from The Kills; the supermodel, Claudia Schiffer; and the burlesque queen, Dita Von Teese.
The collection was a “BoomBox” club mix of goth, biker, disco, rock ‘n’ roll, futuristic, surfer and sports looks, which even included tennis wear, complete with leg-warmer socks and Double C-logo rackets.
A classic cardigan jacket occasionally materialized amongst the cacophony, more often than not teamed with a denim leotard or a pair of baggy jeans equipped with the latest Chanel “must-have” – jeweled bicycle clips.
The show opened with a salute to America’s favourite fabric - denim. Woven with silk, technically distressed and faded, it came as sexy-sporty swimwear, with biker jackets and sparkling silver, wedge-sole, “disco boots” or shoes with no laces.
There was more Americana in a stars-and-stripes sequence, which featured flag-meets-nautical looks in raw-edge jackets, dresses and skirts with “pinking shear” hems, in a mix of red-and-white stripes and navy-and-white star prints, accessorized with patent high heels with a miniature quilted bag attached to one ankle, in the manner of the US ‘Alcohol Detecting Ankle-Strap’, as recently sported by Lindsay Lohan.
Party wear included everything from Little Black Dresses, stamped with rivets and festooned with dangling silver chains, to skintight slinks patchworked with metallic circles, embroidered lace trousers and demure, star-print long gowns with matching hair-bows.
“It’s all about proposals for life,” said Lagerfeld of his Chanel fashion ‘casserole’.
“There’s no room for just one way; people need clothes for different lifestyles”.
source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2007/10/06/efchanel106.xml
Marc Jacobs’ Behavior at Paris Fashion Week S/S 2008
Here’s an article from the New York Post (by Danica Lo) about the Marc Jacobs’ show at Paris Fashion Week:
MARC Jacobs bared his tongue in Paris on Sunday night. While taking his bow on the catwalk following the Louis Vuitton show, he publicly - in front of an audience that included his boss, LVMH head Bernard Arnault, the world’s top fashion editors, and celebs like Courtney Love, Kanye West and Victoria Beckham - stuck it out at International Herald Tribune fashion critic Suzy Menkes.
The designer’s defiant, if childish, gesture was a response to Menkes’ scathing review of Jacobs’ namesake Marc Jacobs spring 2008 collection: “A bad, sad show,” she called it, that “symbolized everything that is wrong with current fashion.” And the tongue is just the latest in a string of bizarre, bratty antics that have industry insiders whispering about the state of Jacobs’ mental affairs.
While he is arguably the most influential working American fashion designer today, this past year has seen Jacobs, 44, in and out of rehab and plagued with rumors about plastic surgery and drug-induced weight loss (he insists he dropped the pounds by working out and going organic).
Embroiled in a steamy, on-again off-again relationship with Jason Preston - the ex-male prostitute and former porn-star who had Jacobs’ name tattooed on his fore-get-your-mind-out-of-the-gutter-arm - Jacobs has also posed naked for a WWD cover, Out magazine, and the latest self-edited issue of Visionaire.
His previously critic-proof professional success is also suffering rumblings of imminent backlash. Not only is he earning a (deserved) reputation for being unable to start a show anywhere near on time - the Vuitton show in Paris started an hour and a half late and the Marc Jacobs show here started more than two hours past schedule - recent reviews have been far less than stellar.
“A remarkable display of self-destruction,” The Post called it.
In the days that followed, Jacobs gave a ranting interview to WWD, blaming the Council of Fashion Designers of America for his tardiness, whining about feeling like an outsider and threatening to move all his shows to Europe.
To be honest, we expected a lot more from the man who was credited with bringing creative credibility back to the American fashion industry beginning with grunge in the early ’90s. Instead, he’s turned into a whiny, bratty, self-obsessed cheeseball. Whether his new image and obnoxious professional demeanor will impact his bottom line remains to be seen. And we’re not talking about his ass - though we’re sure it’s in great shape, and no we don’t want to see it (anymore).
Banned from Louis Vuitton Show at Paris Fashion Week
October 7, 2007 — FASHION journalists are buzzing over how Newsweek’s Dana Thomas was banned from today’s Louis Vuitton ready-to-wear show in Paris. Thomas apparently struck a nerve at the 150-year-old leather goods house with her best-selling book, “Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.” She wrote, “Vuitton is the McDonald’s of the luxury industry: it’s far and away the leader, brags of millions sold, has stores at all the top tourist sites - usually steps away from a McD’s - and has a logo as recognizable as the Golden Arches.” The International Herald Tribune’s Suzy Menkes was banned from Dior a few years ago and the New York Times’ Cathy Horyn from Dolce & Gabbana last winter, both after writing reviews that displeased the brands. Calls to Vuitton reps in New York and Paris weren’t returned. Thomas had no comment. Chances are, however, the ban won’t last forever. “Menkes is back at Dior now,” our source told us. Other luxury brands, meanwhile, seem unperturbed by Thomas’s book. She was spotted at the Christian Dior and Hermes shows earlier in the week.
source: page six
Valentino Bids Farewell to Paris Prêt-à -Porter Fashion Week
Italian fashion giant Valentino staged his last ever ready-to-wear show, winning a standing ovation Wednesday from his supporters and a reprimand from fellow designer Karl Lagerfeld, who said it was too early for the designer to retire.
Wednesday’s show is not quite Valentino’s last hurrah — a final haute couture display is scheduled to take place in Paris in January. But the emotions were palpable as he blinked back tears on the catwalk, and backstage there was hardly a dry eye.
“I want to stop at the height of my glory,” the 75-year-old designer told reporters. “I want to have a bit of fun because I have spent my life stuck in couture houses drawing hundreds and hundreds of sketches every season.”
Having celebrated his 45 years in fashion with three days of glittering celebrations in Rome, Valentino announced last month that he would retire in 2008. Alessandra Facchinetti, the former designer of Gucci women’s ready-to-wear, has been appointed to replace him.
Valentino said he wanted his penultimate collection to be young and joyful as a tribute to all his fans.
Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova, back on the catwalk just three weeks after giving birth to her third child, opened the show in a short pink-and-lilac cashmere coat.
To a thumping soundtrack of Prince songs, models stepped out in flirty cocktail dresses scattered with polka dots and gold bows. Blocks of color formed graphic patterns that had an upbeat ’80s feel, while a print of oversized arum lilies added a romantic touch.
Fashion editors and retailers praised the legendary designer, who has dressed luminaries from Jackie Kennedy to Gwyneth Paltrow.
“It’s very emotional; he’s such an iconic designer, such an important part of fashion history,” said Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director for U.S. department store chain Neiman Marcus.
Lagerfeld lamented Valentino’s decision to stop.
“I am not very pleased because I think it is not good that he’s stopping; he is in great shape,” he told reporters after showing his Karl Lagerfeld ready-to-wear line earlier in the day. “He should continue. It’s no fun; he will be bored.”
Valentino had been insisting for months that he had no plans to retire, but the purchase of the Valentino Fashion Group — which owns his label — by private equity firm Permira may have influenced his decision.
The designer said he would take time to travel and perhaps design costumes for opera and ballet — he already has plans for a collaboration with the famed Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. He also is planning the creation of a foundation to house his creations.
Lagerfeld, 69, said he had no intention of stepping down in turn from his multiple roles as creative director of the Lagerfeld, Chanel and Fendi brands.
“All my contracts are for life, so I am like a death row inmate,” he joked.
While Christian Dior and Valentino have staged lavish anniversary celebrations this year, Lagerfeld barely acknowledged the passing of his 25th year at Chanel. He joined the firm in 1982.
“There were never any celebrations, there will never be any — I hate that,” he said.
“Fashion is about today and tomorrow, not about yesterday. If you have to be taken seriously because you have a heavy past, I don’t think it’s a good thing,” he said. “I don’t want to remember, I want to do things and go ahead.”
By JOELLE DIDERICH, Associated Press Writer
Source: Yahoo! News
Collections de Prêt-à -Porter Printemps/Eté 2008 - Ready-to-Wear Collections Spring/Summer 2008
(In English below.)
La session printemps-été 2008 (du 30 septembre au 8 octobe) se présente sous les meilleurs auspices.
- L’action conjointe des maisons adhérentes et de la Fédération française de la Couture a permis de recentrer l’essentiel des présentations au cÅ“ur de Paris, créant ainsi un axe Carrousel du Louvre / Louvre / Tuileries proche du Grand Palais, des Palais de Chaillot et Tokyo.
- Le Carrousel du Louvre fait peau neuve. Les 4 salles du Carrousel : Gabriel, Delorme, Soufflot et Lenôtre s’offrent dès octobre prochain une nouvelle décoration. L’espace y devient plus modulable, rendant aux salles toute leur dimension. Grands rideaux de coton gratté blanc, bancs ébènes mats et gradins déclinent dans ces boîtes blanches un esprit minimal, contemporain, propice à de nombreuses mises en scène. Des images numériques des salles ainsi modifiées sont d’ores et déjà disponibles sur ce lien.
- Une seconde tente accompagne, à l’initiative du Ministère de la Culture, l’Espace Ephémère Tuileries. Situé près de l’Arc de Triomphe du Jardin du Carrousel du Louvre, l’Espace des Jardins du Louvre accueillera quotidiennement des shows dans sa structure éphémère.
- Le calendrier : 88 défilés dont plus d’un quart programmés au Carrousel du Louvre composent la fashion week parisienne d’octobre 2008, dense, variée et internationale, à l’image du premier dimanche des collections qui se renforce et voit se côtoyer 10 nationalités différentes.
Quelques faits marquants de cette semaine :
- les maisons Christian Dior et Vivienne Westwood défileront le lundi 1er octobre,
- la maison Louis Vuitton défilera le dimanche 7 octobre à 19h30 directement suivie par Ralph Rucci et sa ligne Chado, qui clôturera ce calendrier,
- pour la première fois deux créateurs indiens présenteront leur collection à Paris : Manish Arora, le dimanche 30 septembre et Anamika le dimanche 7 octobre,
- parmi les nouveaux noms inscrits au calendrier, à noter les premiers pas à Paris de Estrella Archs et Limi Feu, la fille de Yohji Yamamoto.
- Canon et Neiman Marcus sont cette saison les partenaires de la Paris Fashion Week ainsi que Citroën et sa flotte automobile. Le service de restauration L’Ail et la Tomate (19 € sur réservation), Kusmi Tea et leur bar à thés et les chocolats Gü disponibles à la Mezzanine du Carrousel du Louvre et au Centre international de presse et d’information.
Paris fashion week for spring-summer 2008 (Sept. 30 - Oct. 8) is shaping up to be a great session!
- Thanks to the cooperative efforts of the Fédération française de la Couture and its members, the majority of fashion shows will be staged in the center of Paris. The result is a show venue axis comprised of the Carrousel du Louvre/the Louvre/the Tuileries and the nearby Grand Palais/and the Palais de Chaillot and Tokyo.
- The Carrousel du Louvre has gotten a makeover. The four halls - Gabriel, Delorme, Soufflot and Le Nôtre - will debut their new interiors for fashion week. The spaces will have more flexible components enabling users to explore and utilize their full potential. In those white box-like platforms, there will be big curtains in a brushed cotton canvas and matt-ebony benches. The new minimalist décor is more contemporary and will give fashion houses more flexibility to stage diverse show scenery. You can check out the new venue via digital photos on this link.
- A second tent will be open for shows, as the Espace Ephémère Tuileries, thanks to the French Ministry of Culture. Located close to the Arc de Triomphe of the Jardin du Carrousel du Louvre will daily hosts shows from the schedule.
- A total of 88 fashion shows - one-quarter of which will be held at the Carrousel du Louvre - will be held during Paris fashion week. The schedule is indeed packed but filled with variety and international flavor, as demonstrated by the first Sunday of shows where designers from 10 different countries will present their collections.
A few important facts about spring-summer 2008 fashion week:
- Christian Dior and Vivienne Westwood will stage their shows on Monday Oct. 1st.
- Louis Vuitton will show on Sunday Oct. 7th at 7:30 followed immediately by Ralph Rucci and his Chado collection which will close Paris fashion week.
- For the first time, two Indian designers will show their collections in Paris: Manish Arora on Sunday Sept. 30th and Anamika on Sunday Oct. 7th.
- New additions to the calendar of note are Estrella Archs and Limi Feu, Yohji Yamamoto’s daughter.
- Canon and Neiman Marcus are this season’s partners of Paris Fashion Week while Citroën will provide official car service. Restaurant service provided by L’Ail et la Tomate (19€ by reservation only), Kusmi Tea and its tea bar, and Gü chocolates will be available at the Mezzanine of the Carrousel du Louvre and at the International Press and Information Center.
Paris Fashion Week Prêt-à -Porter Spring/Summer 2008 Schedule
The spring/summer 2008 prêt-à -porter collections are showing at Paris Fashion Week from September 29 to October 7, 2007!
Here is the schedule of the shows:
Saturday September 29
15h30 IMPASSE DE LA DÉFENSE Grand Hall de la Gare de Lyon - Terrasse de l’Express Bleu - Paris 12e
17h30 FATIMA LOPES Studio Gabriel - 9 avenue Gabriel - Paris 8e
19h00 SIRIVANNAVARI Opéra Garnier - Rotonde des Abonnés - 8 rue Scribe - Paris 9e
Sunday September 30
10h30 JEFEN Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
11h30 LIE SANG BONG Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
12h30 MINA PERHONEN Espace Commines - 17 rue Commines - Paris 3e
13h30 ROBERT NORMAND Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine - 45 avenue du Président Wilson - Paris 16e
14h30 ESTRELLA ARCHS Université Pierre et Marie Curie - 21 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine - Paris 6e
15h30 BALMAIN Hôtel Westin - 3 rue de Castiglione - Paris 1er
16h30 BRUNO PIETERS Galerie Nikki Diana Marquardt - 9 place des Vosges - Paris 4e
17h30 MANISH ARORA Grand Hôtel - 2 rue Scribe - Paris 9e
18h30 RICK OWENS Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts - Salle Melpomène - 13 quai Malaquais - Paris 6e
19h30 BLESS 22 avenue Max Dormoy - Paris 18e
20h30 BERNHARD WILLHELM ex-Purple Institute - 9 rue Pierre Dupond - Paris 10e
21h30 COSMIC WONDER LIGHT SOURCE Cosmic Galerie - 7 rue de l’Equerre - Paris 19e
Monday October 1
10h00 ATSURO TAYAM L’Académie - 14 rue Royale - Paris 8e
11h00 DICE KAYEK Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
12h00 VIVIENNE WESTWOOD Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
13h00 GASPARD YURKIEVICH Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
14h30 CHRISTIAN DIOR Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er
15h30 ISABEL MARANT Espace Jardins du Louvre - Place du Carrousel - Paris 1er
16h30 SHARON WAUCHOB Université Pierre et Marie Curie - 21 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine - Paris 6e
17h30 UNDERCOVER Hôtel Westin - 3 rue de Castiglione - Paris 1er
18h30 MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy - Salle Marcel Cerdan - Porte 28 - 8 boulevard de Bercy - Paris 12e
19h30 AF VANDEVORST Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy - La grande Salle - entrée principale porte 1 - 8 boulevard de Bercy - Paris 12e
20h30 YOHJI YAMAMOTO Carreau du Temple - 3 rue Dupetit Thouars - Paris 3e
Tuesday October 2
09h30 BALENCIAGA See invitation
10h30 JUNYA WATANABE See invitation
11h30 TSUMORI CHISATO Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
12h30 MARITHÉ & FRANCOIS GIRBAUD Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Le Nôtre*
13h30 LUTZ Hôtel Ritz - 17 place Vendôme - Paris 1er
14h30 VIKTOR & ROLF Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er
15h30 ISSEY MIYAKE Espace Jardins du Louvre - Place du Carrousel - Paris 1er
16h30 ANN DEMEULEMEESTER Couvent des Cordeliers - 15 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine - Paris 6e
17h30 COMME DES GARCONS See invitation
19h00 JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 325 rue Saint-Martin - Paris 3e
20h00 VÉRONIQUE BRANQUINHO Garage Turenne - 66 rue de Turenne - Paris 3e
21h00 JEREMY SCOTT Elysée Montmartre - 72 boulevard de Rochechouart - Paris 18e
Wednesday October 3
09h30 KARL LAGERFELD Espace Jardins du Louvre - Place du Carrousel - Paris 1er
10h30 ANDREW GN Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
11h30 AKRIS Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
12h30 VALENTINO Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Le Nôtre*
13h30 COSTUME NATIONAL Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
14h30 DRIES VAN NOTEN Manège du Grand Palais - entrée porte C - avenue Franklin Roosevelt - Paris 8e
15h30 CHRISTIAN LACROIX Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er
16h30 LOEWE Couvent des Cordeliers - 15 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine - Paris 6e
17h30 REQUIEM Petit Palais - avenue Winston Churchill - Paris 8e
18h30 GIVENCHY Carreau du Temple - 3 rue Dupetit Thouars - Paris 3e
20h00 HUSSEIN CHALAYAN See invitation
Thursday October 4
10h00 STELLA MCCARTNEY Palais de Chaillot - 1 place du Trocadéro - Paris 16e
11h00 LÉONARD Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
12h00 BARBARA BUI Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Le Nôtre*
13h00 ANNE VALÉRIE HASH Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
14h00 GIAMBATTISTA VALLI Espace Jardins du Louvre - Place du Carrousel - Paris 1er
15h30 ZUCCA École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts - Salle Melpomène - 13 quai Malaquais - Paris 6e
16h30 CELINE Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er
17h30 HAIDER ACKERMANN See invitation
18h30 VÉRONIQUE LEROY Petit Palais - avenue Winston Churchill - Paris 8e
20h00 YVES SAINT LAURENT Grand Palais - avenue Winston Churchill - Paris 8e
Friday October 5
09h30 HIROMICHI NAKANO Carré des Champs-Elysées - Pavillon Ledoyen - 1 avenue Dutuit - Paris 8e
10h30 CHANEL Grand Palais - avenue du Général Eisenhower - Paris 8e
11h30 AGNÈS B. Palais de Tokyo - 13 avenue du Président Wilson - Paris 16e
12h30 JEAN-CHARLES DE CASTELBAJAC Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
13h30 ALENA AKHMADULLINA Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
14h30 SONIA RYKIEL Espace Ephémère Tuileries – Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er
15h30 JUNKO SHIMADA Hôtel Westin - 3 rue de Castiglione - Paris 1er
16h30 RUE DU MAIL (by Martine Sitbon) Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts - Salle Melpomène - 13 quai Malaquais - Paris 6e
18h00 ES ORCHESTRES Petit Palais - avenue Winston Churchill - Paris 8e
20h00 ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy - Salle Marcel Cerdan - Porte 28 - 8 boulevard de Bercy - Paris 12e
Saturday October 6
10h30 KENZO Carreau du Temple - 3 rue Dupetit Thouars - Paris 3e
11h30 ELIE SAAB Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme *
12h30 CHAPURIN Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
13h30 PAUL & JOE Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Le Nôtre*
14h30 JOSE CASTRO Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
15h30 CHLOÉ Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries - Paris 1er
16h30 MARTIN GRANT École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts - Salle Melpomène - 13 quai Malaquais - Paris 6e
17h30 HERMÈS Espace Jardins du Louvre - Place du Carrousel - Paris 1er
18h30 LIMI FEU Garage Turenne - 66 rue de Turenne - Paris 3e
20h30 JOHN GALLIANO Le Stade Français - 22 avenue de la porte de Saint-Cloud - Paris 16e
Sunday October 7
10h00 VANESSA BRUNO 8 rue de la Pierre Levée - Paris 11e
11h00 NINA RICCI Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries - Paris 1er
12h00 ANAMIKA Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Delorme*
13h00 YUKI TORII Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
14h00 COLLETTE DINNIGAN Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Soufflot*
15h00 MIU MIU See invitation
16h30 SAKINA M’SA Petit Palais - avenue Winston Churchill - Paris 8e
17h30 LANVIN Espace Jardins du Louvre - Place du Carrousel - Paris 1er
18h30 MOON YOUNG HEE Le Carrousel du Louvre - Salle Gabriel*
19h30 LOUIS VUITTON See invitation
20h30 CHADO RALPH RUCCI Palais de Tokyo - 13 avenue du Président Wilson - Paris 16e
* Le Carrousel du Louvre, 99, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Berlin, Germany: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
While we often think of such cities as Paris, Milan, and New York as fashion week meccas, Berlin now has now earned its place on the map. The Mercedes-Benz Berlin Fashion Week took place from July 12-15, 2007.
Having been organized by IMG, Berlin Fashion Week got off to a good head-start in the reputation department, not to mention an upshot in the glamor department. Unfortunately, there were some complaints that this resulted in the event being elitist; the local media was apparently complaining that many people were being excluded from the events simply because they were not high-profile enough. While there were crowds of people gathered around the main venue location (the Brandenburg Gate) every day, such events are usually aimed at a selected audience of industry professionals and other related individuals.
All in all, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Berlin was well received and had some good reviews — by both local and international outlets. There was a good balance of famous and established fashion designers along with lots of good local talent, giving the fashion event a good overall balance and promising concept-idea.
Another event is scheduled in Berlin for January and is already drawing such big names as Karl Lagerfeld and other fashion design greats. This first-time Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has given the signal to the rest of the world that Berlin is ready to make a name for itself among the top players in the fashion design world.
AP Report: Paris Fashion Week Kicks Off With No Plans to Ban Skinny Models
The Paris ready-to-wear shows kicked off on Sunday with the French fashion industry’s leading official saying he did not believe organizers should ban the use of models considered underweight.
Didier Grumbach, head of the Chambre Syndicale — the body that governs French fashion — said that he did not plan to follow in the footsteps of Spanish authorities in setting guidelines for the minimum weight of models who appear on the catwalks.
“I think it’s a non-issue. You don’t solve public health problems by regulating the size of models,” he told The Associated Press on Sunday. “You know, fashion is only the reflection of what is happening in society. It is not the cause.”
France’s Health Ministry recently announced it was setting up a working group on body image, with the aim of establishing a charter with advertisers banning the use of excessively thin models. Grumbach said he did not plan to take part in the government talks.
“I honestly think we are not responsible for health problems,” he said. “Let the Health Ministry take care of health problems, and let fashion designers choose models according to their taste.”
French designer Christophe Decarnin was certainly not in the mood to buck the prevailing appetite for super-skinny models.
His spring-summer collection for Balmain focused on mini dresses that reflected this season’s revival of body-conscious dressing, as epitomized by Azzedine Alaia and Gianni Versace in the 1980s.
Though only in his second season at the house, Decarnin made a splash by dressing French actress Audrey Tautou and American director Sofia Coppola at the Cannes film festival last May. The young Hollywood set should snap up his latest skimpy creations.
Australian model Gemma Ward, whose “alien” look has been a major fashion influence in the last two years, paraded in a thigh-skimming strapless dress in pleated olive chiffon that was fit for a modern-day Athena.
Grecian influences abounded, from the sunray pleating of a white chiffon dress to the multi-strapped leather platform sandals.
Military influences came in the shape of cropped khaki cargo pants and distressed T-shirts riddled with little holes — much like the one front row guest Lenny Kravitz was wearing.
“I think Paris is an incredibly inspiring city, so that’s why I’m spending a lot of time here,” said the rocker, who was taking in the show with his daughter Zoe.
For many fashion editors too, Paris is the highlight of the monthlong ready-to-wear collections, which have already steamed through New York, London and Milan.
The French capital is unique in allowing commercial juggernauts like Christian Dior and Chanel to coexist with conceptual designers like Martin Margiela and Yohji Yamamoto.
Margiela is a critics’ favorite despite refusing all media interviews. He stripped down the 1980s power woman to her undergarments, sending out his cast of non-professional models in flesh-colored bodystockings with bulky shoulderpads.
These “nude” tops, some featuring black applique circles over the breasts, were worn with tailored trouser suits with one leg scissored off. Sailor-striped jersey was fashioned into capelets and matching skirts.
Both ideas have been explored previously by Jean Paul Gaultier, with considerably more panache, but there is something admirable about Margiela’s uncompromising vision of female strength.
Paris has a history of defying prevailing ideals of beauty.
British designer John Galliano shocked fashion editors last year by showing his creations on giants, identical twins, fat women, old men and dwarves, in what some observers described as a “freak show.”
Gaultier, who this week celebrates 30 years in business, has been known to pluck his idiosyncratic models straight from the streets.
With more than 80 shows spread over eight days, the Paris show schedule this season is as packed as ever. Grumbach said an abundance of new names reflected the health of the sector.
“There has never been such strong interest in new brands and what is more interesting still is that they are not folding,” he said. “It simply reflects world growth, which has been obvious in the last few years, and which is being felt in fashion.”
Galliano in Astronaut’s Suit
Here’s a great shot of famed Dior head designer John Galliano in an astronaut’s suit at the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week during the Dior show.
Paris Haute Couture Week
Designers offer red-carpet glamour in Paris couture shows
Galliano said he had been inspired by a recent late-night viewing of French director Marcel Carne’s 1942 film “Les Visiteurs du Soir” (”The Devil’s Envoys”), a fantasy tale set in the 15th century.
“Seen through the eyes of someone from a different culture, a different time, almost a different world, the landscapes and people of the High Renaissance seem curiously otherworldy,” the British designer said in a statement handed out to guests.
“The mixed emotions aroused by the film brought to mind the surrealism of Salvador Dali, the religious fervor of Joan of Arc, the anarchic energy of punk rock and the iconic glamour of the golden age of Hollywood, experienced by a stranger in a strange land.”
To emphasize his point, Galliano took his bow in an astronaut’s suit.
On the runway, his freewheeling take on the period produced looks ranging from 1940s skirt suits with matador-style embroidery to a gothic red and black vinyl coat trimmed with monkey hair.
With only a handful of customers left for these made-to-measure creations, which cost upwards of US$10,000 apiece, couture serves mainly as an advertising gimmick designed to draw customers toward more affordable cosmetics and accessory lines.
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