Lauren Fetes Watch Line... Town Hall Debate... Vuitton's Space Age Fantasy...

TIME ON THEIR HANDS: David Lauren wasn’t deterred by the difficult market for luxury goods at a launch party for Ralph Lauren’s new watch collection in Paris Wednesday night at the tail end of couture week. “It’s tough. Some people will want to wait,” he said, referring to some customers who have become increasingly hesitant to invest in expensive timepieces in the current downturn. “But we are here for the long run.” The U.S. fashion house is launching 23 high-end timepieces in collaboration with Swiss luxury group Compagnie Financière Richemont, with prices ranging from $10,000 to $80,000. So far, the Japan and U.K launches, which preceded France, have been encouraging, Lauren said, with several pieces sold in the first week after going on sale.

Dressed in a pale gray satin Ralph Lauren gown, French actress Elsa Zylberstein said she would play philosopher Hannah Arendt in a play set to open in Paris in September. But before going back to the stage, she’s taking time off work in New York, the south of France and Greece. “I haven’t been on holiday in a year,” she laughed.