Paris Fashion Show Highlights
Fashion lovers gathered in Paris this week for the haute couture fall/winter 2011 presentations, which run from Monday, July 4 to Thursday, July 7.
The event shows collections from iconic designers including Valentino, Giorgio Armani Prive, Givenchy and Jean-Paul Gaultier and concludes fashion celebrations that traveled to New York, London and Milan in the first half of the year.
For the first time in 15 years, the Christian Dior show did not feature John Galliano, the British designer sacked in the spring for his anti-Semitic rant in a bar in Paris.
Chanel dazzled with a set recreating a life-size Place Vendome, known as the center of Paris luxury, while Giorgio Armani Prive dedicated his collection to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Emerging French talent Alexandre Vauthier's collection was dominated by red and by outfits that prompted AP fashion writers to say, "It's official. The Devil no longer wears Prada."
Click ahead for some highlights from the Paris fashion show.
Posted 6 Jul 2011
Liquid Design
Belarusian model Tanya Dziahileva presents a creation by Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen.
Without Galliano
For the first time in 15 years, the Christian Dior show did not feature John Galliano, the British designer sacked in the spring for his anti-Semitic rant in a bar in Paris.
The models wore gowns with lines and colors inspired from nature, with pastel dominating the show at Musee Rodin.
Dedicated to Japan
Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011/2012 was dedicated to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in the spring of this year.
The show, "Homage to Japan," featured Japanese silks and kimono-like shapes and the head-wear was made of what looked like Japanese wrapping paper or an explosion of folding fans, according to AP.
Runway Models
A model walks the runway during the Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011/2012 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Palais de Chaillot on July 6, 2011.
Art and Couture
Stephane Rolland's Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011/2012 blurred the line between art and couture, with dramatic gowns, according to the fashion media.
Rolland is one of the few Paris fashion houses to live entirely off of couture, as it has no ready-to-wear line or lucrative perfume or cosmetics lines, AP wrote.
Mystery on the Runway
Models in the Maison Martin Margiela presentation had, as usual, their faces covered with dark-colored masks.
This year the masks were more severe than those in last year's presentation and were tied at the back of their head covering the whole face, adding a touch of mystery.
Stephane Rolland
A model presents creations by French designer Stephane Rolland on July 5, 2011.
Mind Your Step
Fashion writers have commented on how difficult it was for some of the models to walk down the catwalk in the new shoes from the autumn/winter collection as many were forcing the wearer to walk like ballerinas.
In this picture, a model walks the runway during the Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011/2012 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Musee Rodin on July 4.
Taking a Break
In emerging French designer Julien Fournie's show, bowling shoes were fitted with weighted cork platforms so models were forced to walk like ballet dancers, AP reported.
By the end of the show, the models were turning back only halfway down the runway, it said. The atmosphere backstage looked much more relaxed.
Performance and Fashion
Christian Dior's models are performers as much as they are models.
Elaborate haircuts, extravagant hats and thick make-up were almost as important as the clothes themselves.
Staying Cool
Temperatures in Paris soared to 32 degrees Celsius (90 F) during emerging talent Alexandre Vauthier's show.
The small venue – the library of historic high school Lycee Henri IV – was turned into a "hellish sauna," according to AP fashion writers.
Walking the Runway
A model walks the runway during the Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011/2012 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Musee Rodin on July 4, 2011.
Vauthier's Red Collection
Alexandre Vauthier's collection was dripping with red, featuring bright red bustieres, cherry-colored fur coats and saucy, second-skin pantsuits in fire-engine neoprene, AP reported.
Vauthier, whose clothes have been chosen by Beyonce for her performance in the Glastonbury Festival and for the cover of her album, began fashion studies at the age of 20, after studying law.
Colors and Glamour
Giorgio Armany Prive's shows have always been full of glamour and color and this year's, held at Palais de Chaillot in Paris, was no exception.
The venue is situated in the French capital's famous Trocadero area, across the river Seine from the Tour Eiffel.
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