Manish Arora F/W 2011 - 2012

Today I fell in love with Manish Arora. Held at Garage Turenne, this show was exciting from the moment I stepped inside the venue. Vibrant colors adorned just about every person that came to see this famous designers collection. Looking around the crowd, the excitement of the show was obvious. The staple black outfit that is usually the uniform at fashion shows was traded in for bright, energetic colored attire. When looking through the crowd, I noticed Kayne West sitting opposite me, also in a brightly colored leather jacket. Sitting beside him was the famous fashion icon, Diane Pernet of "A Shaded View on Fashion" website! I was so excited to be at the same show as them!


The show began with Magician Benjamin Dukhan wheeling an empty metal cage into the middle of the catwalk, covering it with a cape and, with a tap of a flaming torch, a model appeared inside. As the models made their way down the runway, I was in awe of the amount of Swarovski crystals that adorned the pieces. Each outfit had an impressive amount of Swarovski crystals, rich embroidery and mirrorwork. Embellishment combinations of lamé fabrics and crazy patchwork prints paired with crystal body armor created an almost magical presence in the clothes themselves.








This stunning floor-length ballgown looked as if it was made out of stiff colored paper and cut like a paper snowflake. The same pattern was then seen coming down the runway, printed on a full body catsuit.



I was also just dying over the shoes and boots that were covered in Swarovski crystals that were just about the most sparkle I have ever seen!



The collection from Arora was overall magical with undertones of stylized interpretations to Indian and Asian cultures. Manish Arora was recently appointed artistic director at Paco Rabanne. Fashion industry leaders are anxious to see what the over-the-top designer has in store for this iconic brand.

Limi Feu F/W 2011

I was very excited to receive my invitation to the Limi Feu show yesterday. Even the invitation itself was exciting! Instead of sending out the usual paper invitation, Limi Feu sent a rubber bracelet with all the show information printed around it.

Limi Feu is the daughter of fashion designer Yojhi Yamamoto, so I knew this show would present an impressive collection. The show was actually held at the Yojhi Yamamoto space just behind the Pompidou center. As I got closer to the venue, I could see a lineup of people waiting and hoping to get a chance to get into the show via the "standing" line. There were also bunches of street style photographers snapping shots of the fashion elite. After showing my bracelet to security, I was hurried inside to take my place. It is funny how you are treated once security sees that you have an invitation to the show. They practically shoved a poor woman aside who did not have a ticket in order to let me through!
Once I found my spot, the show started. Scottish bagpipes rang out and the models came down the catwalk in beautiful floral prints and fine whispy hair.

The show went on with beautiful knits and felted hats that had impressions of faces on the front of them. I also liked the flowing draped black pieces and the white shall was my favorite!





Once the show was over, I hung around and got a few shots of the models after the show.




Overall, it was a great show! The silhouette that Limi Feu created with this collection was beautiful and unique.

Devastee F/W 2011

I was lucky enough to get a ticket into the Devastee show, so I set out early this morning to meet a friend that was coming to the show with me. Once inside the Academie L'Oreal Professionnel where the show was taking place, we climbed the stairs and were ushered to our spot right beside the stage!
Once the show started, I really enjoyed the collection. Each piece was classic and extremely wearable.








I was extremely happy to see the return of accessories after yesterday's shows were there was a total lack of jewelry!

Moon Young Hee F/W 2011

My next stop for Paris Fashion Week was Moon Young Hee's show in the Marais. Standing outside waiting for the doors to open, I was wishing that I had dressed for warmth, not for fashion! Once inside, I took my seat and warmed up a little while waiting for the show to start. This show was in a large open space with white walls and windows in the ceiling. The benches were positioned so the models had to walk through a maze-like runway finished with a large white canvas at the end.
When I got the invitation for Moon Young Hee, I was excited to see her approach to layering and pleating. Her draped creations were unique and exciting. Personally, I didn't like the black combat boots for all the looks, but they worked with some of the black layered dresses. Black organza shimmered from under some of the dresses which gave a hint of a feminine touch on suck heavy black pieces.







My favorite part of the collection were the more feminine pieces. The best dress of the day goes to the black embroidered and beaded dress. I loved the detail in the back.

Fatima Lopes F/W 2011

Paris Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2011 officially began today with Fatima Lopes' show held in the Salon des Miroirs. I was very excited to be attending my first Paris Fashion Week show today, and it did not disappoint. I made my way to the Passages Jouffroy where the show was being held. As I got close to the venue, I spotted a familiar scene of paparazzi waiting outside. It was so nice to be able to go into the show this time instead of being stuck outside with the photographers! Once inside, I was shown to my seat and I settled in to watch the show. As the show began, the cameras were ready and the models showed Fatima's collection of white minimalistic creations. Back and White or Yin and Yang seemed to be the theme at this seasons show for Fatima.




As the show went on, black pieces invaded the white collection with one stunning green dress. Some tailoring on the black dresses seemed tight as models struggled to walk down the runway.





Fatima came out at the end to take her bow, and the show was over. As I left the show, I was able to catch a couple of the models leaving the show and even took the metro to the next show with one of them!