Balmain A/W 2009, courtesy of Style.com

PARIS, France — I’m in Paris for the collections, after sitting last season out. It’s funny the way everything looks different when you’re actually here.

Take Balmain, for instance. I assumed, from what I read in the press after last season’s showing by designer Christophe Decarnin, that it was the collection du jour; the one that everyone adored, adored, adored. It turns out that well, this is not really the case.

The talk amongst the fashion intelligentsia before and after the show centered around one key point – and that point was not: “Isn’t Decarnin a genius?”, but rather “Who can actually buy this stuff?” … Continue Reading

Balmain S/S 09 ad campaign, courtesy of Balmain

LONDON, United Kingdom — If one wanted an indication that nothing is ever going to be the way it was in luxury, this was the week to watch.

Forget about Karl Lagerfeld’s paper accessories at the Chanel haute couture show (a gimmick if there ever were one.) Consider instead the dichotomy of two of the most interesting items in this week’s fashion news.

First, that Tom Ford is bringing out jeans with a $990 price tag in the midst of the credit crunch. Why so expensive? Well, they’re made from Japanese selvage denim, which means they won’t fade or shrink. And they have an 18-carat gold button. (Note to anyone tempted: Dior Homme has Japanese selvage jeans for $777, if you can live without the gold button).

… Continue Reading