Hollywood stars braved the rain to open Paris Fashion Week at L'Oreal's giant outdoor show on Monday, as rumors swirled about musical chairs at the top of famed French brands.
The cosmetics giant persuaded Jane Fonda – sporting snazzy silver sneakers – Kendall Jenner, Eva Longoria, Turkish actress Pınar Deniz and several of its brand ambassadors to walk in a spectacular public show in front of the gilded glory of the Opera Garnier.
With invites to the big luxury shows strictly limited to the glitterati and fashion insiders, L'Oreal aimed to democratize the glamour of fashion week.
Introduced by singer Celine Dion, the "Walk Your Worth" show also featured Andie MacDowell, Indian star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, models with prosthetic limbs, and Brazilian supermodel Luma Grothe proudly showcasing her baby bump.
"The idea is to let the public see for themselves the beautiful clothes, settings and people that they would never normally have access to," L'Oréal's Paris director-general Delphine Viguier told Agence France-Presse - (AFP).
Fashion's young guard endured a stormy start to the nine-day extravaganza as rising French star Victor Weinsanto staged his spring-summer show on the wet and windy roof of the Pompidou Centre. His fishnet and mesh ensembles, created around Croatian drag queen Le Filip, faced challenging weather conditions.
The Paris shows began amid falling profits at luxury giants LVMH and Kering, sending a shudder through the industry and fueling talk of a "Game of Thrones" among top designers.
Celine’s Hedi Slimane and young French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus – known for making tiny handbags a trend – are being discussed to fill Karl Lagerfeld's empty chair at Chanel after Virginie Viard, who took the reins after Lagerfeld died in 2019, stepped down in June.
Speculation is also high regarding where John Galliano might go as his contract with Maison Margiela nears its end.
The first shows from the big-name French houses will come Tuesday with Dior and Saint Laurent, with a packed calendar confirming Paris's dominance over rivals Milan, New York, and London.
Chanel will close out the event on Oct. 1, returning to the vast Grand Palais – the scene of some of Lagerfeld's most jaw-dropping shows – after a four-year absence. The house is investing 30 million euros ($33 million) to stage its shows at the iconic Belle Epoque edifice, which has been refurbished to host events for the Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games.
With Viard – Lagerfeld's longtime right-hand woman – gone, observers expect a collection drawn from Chanel classics.
In contrast, fireworks may be expected from Alessandro Michele, the Italian designer who transformed Gucci, as he makes his debut show for Valentino.
Equally anticipated is the French duo Coperni, staging their show at Disneyland Paris on the final night, with an after-party in the theme park promising to continue into the early hours.
The brand's founders, Arnaud Vaillant and Sebastien Meyer, achieved a coup with their outfit for Belgian singer Angèle for the Olympics closing ceremony and are clearly in a celebratory mood.
Another hot duo, the Olsen twins, Los Angeles child actors turned designers, have maintained their place for their luxury line, The Row, in fashion week, thanks to a cash injection from the owners of Chanel and L'Oreal.
However, Paris will be without Givenchy at this time, as its new British designer, Sarah Burton - a stalwart at Alexander McQueen for 25 years – has just been appointed creative director.
