Paris Fashion Week for the 2008 Fall/Winter collections, held in late February and early March, was not unlike the $75 artfully assembled salad we had at Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (the most expensive in our life) at lunch: excessive, complex and, despite its frivolous nature, extremely satisfying.
With 57 shows over eight days—many of them, including Chanel and John Galliano, as elaborately produced as a 1980s-era Broadway musical—there was a day-to-night parade of couture for the privileged and/or connected few. Hollywood and New York were in the house, with front-row appearances by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Jessica Alba, Kayne West, Rihanna, Mischa Barton, Chloë Sevigny, Eve and Vivica A. Fox, as well as European VVIPs Catherine Deneuve, Claudia Schiffer and French first lady Carla Bruni, all eager to get a first look at the Gallic goods, which ranged wildly from Elie Saab’s glitzy metallic Oscar gowns to Chanel’s shredded denim miniskirts. The big trends, which run the gamut from demure to vampiric, are going to be a lot of fun, giving us plenty of ways to play dress-up this fall.

Miami homeboy Esteban Cortazar, presenting a lovely debut collection at Ungaro, was all about the modern goddess.

Esteban Cortazar with a model backstage during the Ungaro show at Paris Fashion Week.

Polished Goth. Think Dita Von Teese restricted to a palette of black, white, gray and beige. (Or, as American designer Michael Kors quipped to The Guardian, “Imagine if Amy Winehouse and Kim Novak were roommates.”) Classically elegant, but with a jagged edge. Monastic chic, but with Good Girl hair and a fresh manicure. (Homework: Rent The Omen films; study looks of the chicer evil governesses.) Karl Lagerfeld for his eponymous line and Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton did this very well, as did Balenciaga, the latter with a long black split skirt that still lets us show some leg. To add to your shopping list: A prim white shirt with stiff collar and cuffs and/or fussy white bow blouse, such as Givenchy’s, complete with lacy bib front, and Chanel’s fabulous nude-front/black-back tights.

Modern Goddess. Miami homeboy Esteban Cortazar, 23, presenting a lovely debut collection at Ungaro, was all about the modern goddess. Inspired by a 1970s photography book depicting the supermodel Veruschka in various abstract nature settings, the second-youngest designer to take over a Paris fashion house (Yves Saint Laurent for the House of Dior, at age 21, was first), the Colombian-born Cortazar gave us romantic draped-and-twisted short dresses in pale creamy hues that were sensual yet never overt, and beautiful bias-cut gowns in rose-, pebble- or wood-print silk mousseline with dramatic flowing flutter sleeves that grazed the fingertips. To ward off a winter chill, cocoon-shaped cashmere sweater coats with oversized braided collars interwoven with glass beads were cozy and sophisticated. For his curtain call, a beaming Cortazar ran the runway like a young thoroughbred, breathing new life into the legendary fashion house.

Bigger Jewelry, Smaller Bags. The trend of handbags so cavernous one could carry a small child/Olsen sister in them may be winding down, especially when style ringleader Marc Jacobs endorses bags of modest proportion (but there were still plenty of overnighter stature), and Nicolas Ghesquière forgoes bags altogether in lieu of vintage-styled faux-diamond chokers and cuffs worn with his perfect little black dresses, reminiscent of the 1950s and ‘60s. The Statement Necklace was dynamic at Givenchy, where designer Riccardo Tisci sent out black-clad models wearing mounds of gold chains, some embellished with crosses and small religious charms (a nod to his Catholic upbringing), starting at the neck and covering the upper body down to the waist. While hard-core fashionistas may get into the rough-cut, diamond-encrusted breastplates and feathered headpieces at Alexander McQueen’s brilliant royal-regalia-themed show, some may find Albert Elbaz’s lace-wrapped pearls at Lanvin and the superbad, superwide gold-mesh and chunky white-shell cuff at Yves Saint Laurent a tad more wearable.

Hermés		Elie Saab		Christian Lacroix
The runway at the Hermès show was one superlong red Oriental carpet.

	Belenciaga		Lanvin

Electric Color. Richly pigmented color reminiscent of the abstract expressionists—bold, clear hues of purple, magenta, teal, yellow and inky blue—were a runway staple, effervescent in solids, prints and stripes that were often worn all together. (Note to self: Do not try this at home.) Purple, the feng-shui color of wealth and physical strength, emerged as the It Color for the season. And the best news: Many color-saturated looks, as at Christian Lacroix’s highly entertaining “minimalist baroque” show, were paired with opaque black tights and knee-length black boots, one of the easiest and most flattering ways to wear color.

The Diana Vreeland Effect. Whenever we think of tassels, fringe and paisley, we can’t help but think of the iconic fashion editrix, a devotee of ethnic exotica—not to mention excess in general—whose living-room walls were papered in red paisley with upholstered furniture to match. Mrs. Vreeland would have loved the runway at the Hermès show, which was one superlong red Oriental carpet, a hint at the lush offerings to come: rich paisley prints in Hermès orange and raw umber, tapestry shoulder bags, kimono-inspired dresses with tasseled tie belts and piano-fringe-hemmed capes. In a glamorous act of political incorrectness, designer Jean Paul Gaultier sent a sultry blonde down the catwalk in a tan suede smoking jacket, lit cigarette in hand.

Austere Equestrian. The long and lean look that prevailed at the collections had an equestrian subtext, as well, with formfitting beige jodhpurs, strict tailored jackets and high riding boots. Especially well done was the disciplined black architecturally cut suiting by Costume National creative director Ennio Capasa (crop and whip optional).

Florals and Prints. Spring’s infatuation with graphic, overscaled florals and big prints will continue into fall, as evidenced by Galliano’s vermilion/black poppy print and Belgian designer Dries Van Noten’s long silk dresses in a swirled kaleidoscopic design, à la marbleized bookend paper. (John Galliano’s Xanadu-themed show, based on poet Coleridge’s Kubla Khan, was a delicious riot of color itself, cast with maharajahs, oversized Buddhas and Nubian slaves.) Stella McCartney showed medieval shields and fleurs-de-lis in gray and black on her midi-length (yes, it’s coming back) bateau-necked sweater, worn with black pleather platform boots.

Lace. Best worn as separates instead of entire garments (Stevie Nicks alert), lace will be a big trend, lending a feminine touch to the season’s hard-edged silhouette. We’d pair Andrew Gn’s black lace bustier with our worn-in-just-enough leather jeans, if only we could get in them. (Note to self: Lay off the steak tartare.) Expect a barrage of good-for-a-few-seasons accessories such as oversized lace clutches and lacy hosiery.

Minis and Bubbles. Even though midi and maxi looks in dark monochromes abounded, there were enough minis (but not micro) and egg-shaped and bubble dresses to keep us from regretting buying too many of them last season. A most amazing specimen was Alexander McQueen’s black sleeveless pouf with attached cape that connected from the shoulder down the back to the puffed hem—pure, spidery goth princess. Dior evoked the 1960s with little tweed luncheon suits, sexed up with ratted-up hair and heavy Edie Sedgwick eye makeup, a beauty look we invariably succumb to, intentionally or not.

Photo Credits:
Chris Moore
Karl Prouse
Catwalking
Getty Images