By
AFP
Published
Sep 28, 2015
Reading time
3 minutes
Download
Download the article
Print
Text size

Five to watch as fashion set sashays over to Paris

By
AFP
Published
Sep 28, 2015

The fashion spotlight swings to Paris on Tuesday, giving the weary glitterati a final glimpse of summer -- or what they will be wearing when it returns -- before boots and coats season sets in.

After New York, London and Milan, Paris will on Tuesday open its round of ready-to-wear collections for Spring/Summer 2016, with plenty of surprises in store over nine days of shows.

Courrèges AW15/16 Paris Fashion Week - PixelFormula


- Courrèges: back to the future -

The brand known for its futuristic fashion in the 1960s, with geometric lines, lavish use of PVC, metal and plastic, is back.

The iconic French house was taken over by advertising executives Jacques Bungert and Frederic Torloting in 2011 who appointed two new artistic designers, Arnaud Vaillant and Sebastien Meyer, in May.

The return of the brand created by former engineer Andre Courrèges to the catwalk is timely: black-and-white geometric designs that could have been inspired by him have been hot on the runways for several seasons.

It is also the latest example of efforts to revive a legendary fashion brand: Schiaparelli returned to Paris catwalks in 2014 after lying dormant for 60 years.

So what comes after the Space Age for Courrèges? All will be revealed when its latest collection hits the runway on Wednesday.

- Wang's final hurrah at Balenciaga -

American designer Alexander Wang will reveal his final collection for French fashion house Balenciaga next Friday.

Wang and Balenciaga announced they were going their separate ways in July, after three years of collaboration and the house has yet to announce his replacement.

Wang, 31, is considered one of the most successful American designers of his generation.

Born in California to Taiwanese parents he launched his own label -- a mix of relaxed chic and streetwise edge -- in 2007 when he was just 23.

Rihanna, Lady Gaga and power couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are fans of his designs.

Wang will be devoting himself to his own label, which celebrated its 10th anniversary during New York's fashion week.

The Row AW15/16 New York Fashion Week - PixelFormula


- Olsen sisters in Paris -

Celebrity twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, 29, who went from child TV stars to respected stylists and businesswomen, have chosen to present the Spring/Summer collection for their brand The Row in Paris this year, instead of New York.

Givenchy did the reverse this year, choosing New York over Paris to present its ready-to-wear collection there for the first time.

- Eiffel Tower slips into a shimmery number -

Local government officials in Paris are trying to get more involved in fashion week and the City of Light has been covered in posters declaring: "Fashion loves Paris".

The Eiffel Tower is also getting a special makeover for the occasion, and will dress up with a special light show every night from Wednesday.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo "is very aware of the economic impact of the presence of some 5,000 people in fashion from across the world... as well as the importance of the Paris Fashion Week for the image of the city," said Stephane Wargnier, a fashion communications specialist who carried out a study on the economic impact of fashion weeks for the municipality.

- Pamela Anderson's vegan shoes -

Some people stand in the darkness, while others prefer to stand in vegan shoes.

Ex-Baywatch star Pamela Anderson knows this to be true, and has collaborated with French designer Amelie Pichard on a collection of seven shoes made without any animal material.

The shoes will be presented to buyers in Paris and half of all profits will go to the Pamela Anderson Foundation, which lobbies for animal rights.
 

Copyright © 2024 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses.