Paris couture week -- once the playground of Ladies Who Lunch, after a morning at the hairstylist -- has become as congested and hectic as the ready-to-wear shows.
That was especially the case for the international press given all the sideshows tacked on to the four-day calendar.
Time was of the essence last week bounding between couture shows for the big
French houses, anniversary parties for various sportswear and handbag brands,
porcelain exhibitions -- you name it. Not all of the attractions belonged in
couture week. High fashion need not aspire to fast fashion.
But some players last week seemed to be cognizant of their time-pressed
audience. Jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels installed a mini reconstruction of four
classical gardens in its headquarters, replete with fresh grass, water fountains
and terra-cotta slabs, allowing preciously pressed-for-time visitors to hop from
one jewelry theme to another in a single step.
It was a fitting metaphor for what couture week has become. Dior's packed
maternity unit (where baby jewels came displayed in faux incubators) resembled
more of an emergency ward, such was the frenzy to catch a glimpse of the
newborns, elbows first, and get the heck out in time for the next, gloriously
short-lived event.
The solution? Multitasking, as nimbly demonstrated by Georgina Brandolini,
who breezed into Daphne Guinness's party at Caviar Kaspia and immediately had
the waiters unfurl a sheet of salmon on to a blini. Her tactic: one plate per
party. In this case, Loulou de la Falaise was for main course. And off she went.
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