subscribe to style file blog via RSSA NEW FACE FOLLOWS THE NEW MONEY
July 2, 2007 8:34 pm
Don’t run away with the idea that fashion types are swanning round Paris leisurely filling in the gaps between the dwindling couture shows with lunch at the Ritz and tea at Ladurée. No: This “July week,” which used to be a wind-down to the holiday, is now a frenetic round of resort appointments and invitations to peruse the precious jewelry collections of the Place Vendôme. Major designers’ showrooms are crammed with buyers stocking up for November, and the likes of Giles Deacon, Jonathan Saunders, and Boudicca have hopped on the Eurostar to grab their slice of attention. Meanwhile, the financial climate and all the excitement about the new hedge-fund billionaire class—this season’s answer to the new rich of Russia, India, and China—seem to be buoying up confidence in the existence of superexclusive couture itself. Stéphane Rolland is just one new arrival on the circuit. His background at Scherrer taught him old-school skills, but he says he’s aiming at something more in synch with a modern woman’s attitudes. “Couture can eat your personality, but I want to develop something clean and simple, in which you can relax and be yourself.” His riffs on tuxedos and some pale dresses, one with a mannish jacket thrown over it, are interesting enough to warrant a second look next season.
—Sarah Mower
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