2009 Spring Couture

Karl Lagerfeld loves Carine Roitfeld's coquettish attitude. Tom Ford still remembers an exceptionally fashionable outfit she wore almost a decade ago. Riccardo Tisci credits her for his success. Francois Henri Pinault (Salma Hayek's hubby) picks her brain regularly. These are just some of the fun tidbits shared in CNN's three-part documentary of the French Vogue editor. My most surprising discovery? How downright humble she is in an industry where egos are growing by the minute. Watch Part 1 as cameras follow an impeccably dressed Carine throughout days at the French Vogue offices and while she attends the latest Couture Week — more specifically, the shows of Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Givenchy, and Maison Martin Margiela.

All eyes were on the house of Valentino with the recent dramas haunting the house. You may recall Alessandra Facchinetti's quick dismissal following the Spring RTW show. Longtime accessory designers for the house Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli stepped up to the throne. The Spring couture collection was their debut.Valentino is back in business. This collection reminded me of what Valentino stands for: luxury, precision, femininity. And yes, Valentino Garavani was there and was the first to applaud. You can't get much better than this: “I have to tell you, they did a very good job. It is a collection that is perfect for this very moment,” said Valentino postshow. The clothes were free from fashion-forward experimentation and rooted in Valentino signatures like rosettes, luxurious fabrics, dramatic ruffles, and opulent evening gowns. Some colors were questionable — this taupe bores me to death — but rich Valentino red shined along with other jewel tones. All in all, a fine step in the right direction.

For more Valentino couture, read more

The couture fashion parade continued in Paris today, with Mischa Barton back after a quick trip to London to hang with her latest musical man, The Kooks' Luke Pritchard. She was sufficiently recovered from her recent birthday celebrations to join Dita von Teese and Kanye West, I mean Martin Louis the King Jr., at Elie Saab earlier this morning. He later headed over to Givenchy with Anna Wintour before moving on to Jean Paul Gaultier alongside Kylie Minogue. There are only a few more shows for the all-star attendees to check out in France, but the fun continues when the 2009 Fall Fashion Week kicks off in NYC on February 13.

To see more of the day's events, including Lou Doillon and Michelle Yeoh, just read more

Opulent, whimsical, vivid — all adjectives you can count on Lacroix to bring. However, considering this is couture, the French great toned things down a tad. There's still plenty of pouf and crazy, but this collection felt tame. Or maybe I just prefer when Lacroix goes mad . . . Influences were varied: Spanish luxe, retro prom, Parisian flourish, but it was unmistakably Lacroix. Some dresses resembled exotic bouquets of flowers, while others an English garden party. Meanwhile, separates were jumbled together to create a high-end hodgepodge — very inspiring. Stacked bangles and oversize earrings were noteworthy. Then there's the bride, in her white and gold decadent glory. As always with Lacroix, I'm smitten.

To see more lavish Lacroix couture, read more