Paris Fashion Week Fall 2009: Part I

I love Paris. It wasn't love at first sight, but now I know nothing beats checking out all the cute shops by Place des Vosges on a Sunday afternoon, or having steak tartare at 3am in a tiny cafe by Les Halles, or wandering by the Grand Palais where Karl Lagerfeld chose to show Chanel's fall collection. And now that I've stopped day dreaming here is a two part review of Paris Fashion Week. Get ready for short skirts, wild imagination and Parisian chic!

Chanel
There was something for everyone in this collection from Chanel. The ubiquitous tweed suit, knits, the cuff that united almost every look on the runway. My favorite was the pairing of a fitted jacket with a long skirt.

Giambittista Valli
It was a very bold collection from Giambattista Valli. His unique looks were seen last year on Jessica Beal, Victoria Beckham and Amy Adams wore him to the SAG awards. If you want to stand out why not wear a long cape? Or a dress of peacock feathers?

John Galliano
Wearable? No. But John Galliano's collection was definitely awe inspiring. It was a winter wonderland set in the Russian country side. There was tremendous detail with the patterns, embroidery and headdresses. It was not simply a modern take on traditional costumes but a vision of a world suspended in time.

Balmain
Super short, super sexy. That seemed to be the theme behind this Balmain collection. There was tons of leather and swarovski crystals, what more can a girl ask for?

RM by Roland Mouret
Roland Mouret's designs are amazingly structured. Anyone wearing his clothes automatically looks sophisticated and has a fantastic silhouette. This collection was more of the same, with muted colors for the fall. The only part I did not enjoy were the tights, which are on trend, but did not fit in with the rest of the collection.

Louis Vuitton
Elegant and whimsical are not an easy fit but Marc Jacobs make it work in this collection for Louis Vuitton. I loved the black dresses with bright colored sashes, the shape of the nude skirt and blouse below and the ballerina inspired high heels with bows at the ankle.

Miu Miu
Unlike the Prada collection in Milan, the softer side of Miuccia Prada came out in Miu Miu's collection. There were lots of coats and furs, and embroidered stockings which we've already seen in Doo.Ri's collection.

image source: style.com