Paris Street Style

Paris is undoubtedly one of the best places for fashion in the world. During Paris Fashion Week, the runways are filled with the hottest couture trends, and the audience sparkles with the high amounts of star power. There’s probably no better place for a fashion lover than Paris in late January.

But the runway isn’t the only place to spot some of the hottest looks: The streets are filled with the best of the best when it comes to street style. This past week, we spotted almost as many fabulous looks off the runway as we did on it. The streets if Paris were overflowing with the most outrageously wonderful fashion for the 2012 haute couture show.

One favorite look, sported by Rachel Zoe, was this sophisticated chic ensemble. One can never go wrong with the skirt and blazer combo, and Zoe knows exactly how to play it up with dramatic ruffles, a playful blouse, and, of course, amazing pumps. Zoe added sophistication to her ultra-short ruffle skirt by pairing it with black tights.

This look is perfect for a day at work, lunch at Bergdorf Goodman, or, in her case, alongside the runway at Paris Fashion Week.

Text Sera Michael

Source Harper’s Baazar

Burberry Opens Flagship in Paris

As November ended and December took the spotlight, so did Burberry. It opened a brand new store in Paris, which happens to be its now-largest location worldwide. British friends — including co-host and Burberry Body fragrance face Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Cara Delevingne — were present at the grand commencement.

The 10,000-square foot flagship is made up of four floors, located at 56 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, directly across from the British Embassy. The crowd moved over to the British Ambassador's residence after the store-opening cocktail, and the British pop band known as The Feeling presented a live performance for all to enjoy.

Burberry chief creative officer Christopher Bailey spent a few hours in the boutique, and he commented on the unified level of impressive sophistication presented by shoppers. "It's in the blood of this city, luxury and fashion," Bailey told WWD.

What is your favorite Burberry possession? Purse, perfume, item of clothing? Tell us!

Text Brittney Schering
Image Stephane Feugere

STOLEN Part Deux: Louis Vuitton

Earlier this month, we reported the theft of Marc Jacobs’ spring 2012 collection, which took place during the transfer from Paris to London and caused the cancellation of the show. Now, we brief you on a second sketchy scenario, this time revolving around French fashion house Louis Vuitton. Unlike the robbery that plagued Marc Jacobs, this time the situation was more valuable — and more violent.

Last weekend, approximately $400,000 worth of Louis Vuitton goods were stolen from the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. At the scene, masked thieves held employees hostage as they loaded nearly half a million dollars worth of goods into their truck. This is nearly six times more expensive than the Marc Jacobs merchandise, which was valued at about $60,000. Police officials are working hard to track down the criminals who fled with the Louis loot. In the meantime, LVMH had no comment on whether or not this caper is connected to the recent robbery of the Marc Jacobs collection.

In light of current events, it's hard to ignore the law enforcement look from the fall 2011 runway at Louis Vuitton. The police-inspired hats are indeed ironic considering the ongoing police investigations surrounding the high fashion heist.

Text Jennifer Bernard 
Image and Source Elle

Saskia de Brauw Creates Perfection in Vogue Italia

Saskia de Brauw teamed up with Paolo Roversi to perfect the incredibly cinematic editorial in Vogue Italia's October 2011 issue. She previously worked with fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel's 2012 Cruise collection, as well as with Lagerfeld and Stella Tennant for the September 2011 cover of Numero.

Ranked as number thirteen in the Top 50 of Models.com, it's evident that glamorous Dutch artist and model Saskia de Brauw has what it takes to create elegant perfection. De Brauw recently worked with agencies in New York, London, and Paris — including projects alongside Lanvin and Givenchy. She also graced the October 2011 cover of Dazed & Confused.

It's no wonder that the beauty has been nothing short of crazy busy, and we have a feeling that this will not come to a close anytime soon. We expect to see much more of this model in the near future.

Text Brittney Schering
Image courtesy of Fashion Gone Rogue

Diane Von Furstenberg Flash Mobs

If you happened to be taking a stroll along the Seine last Wednesday, you may have been lucky enough to experience a group of 100 women swathed in the iconic DVF wrap dress, dancing to Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman.” Don’t believe us? What if we told you that Diane Von Furstenberg was there herself, dancing among the women? Perhaps mentioning that the impromptu dance party was to promote Diane Von Furstenberg’s latest perfume launch will help clarify any doubts. After the dancing died down, the designer signed autographs at the Sephora flagship store on the Champs-Elysées.

The Parisian flash mob fête is one of several to come — with more scheduled for Lisbon, Madrid, Warsaw, and Milan. So, if you happen to find yourself suddenly surrounded by throngs of dancing DVF-clad women in one of these cities, why not join in? You can practice your moves here.

Text Tienlyn Jacobson 
Source WWD

Paris Lights Up For Menswear

The ever-romantic City of Lights played host to the final leg of the men's shows this past week, and as indicated by the bursts of color from the front rows to Jardins des Tuileries to the shows themselves, next spring will most definitely not be a dull one. But color is not the only story being told by Paris for next season. The city's designers have drawn a sharper focus on the structure of the clothes, toying with different shapes and paying excruciating attention to the minute details. It's an appropriate perspective, however, considering that the French fashion vibe is all about an effortless yet keen eye for detail.

Certain designers, like Kenzo and Raf Simons, boldly took on prints, patterns, and graphics, thereby escaping the limiting factor of solid-color pieces and offering the gentlemen newer and riskier options (it's always good to take risks in fashion). Florals, for example, are ironically beginning to become the rage for menswear, either turning up in fluorescent or muted pastels. Others, like Balenciaga's Nicolas Ghesquière, resorted to a much more stricter route by creating cleanly cut and perfectly tailored garments; a very Parisian outlook classic sportswear. With a boundary-pushing range of collections on one side and a traditional yet modern group of presentations on the other, Paris has really offered the best of both worlds.

Text Ricardo Hernandez

Image courtesy of Tommy Ton for Style.com

Tory Burch Pre-Fall 2011

This years pre-fall lineup has proven to be nothing short of divine, but the season's standout is definitely Tory Burch. Burch has come a long way from her signature embellished flats for fall with gloriously mis-matchy, boho get-ups. Some of the gems of the collection include a 70's wallpapery floor length frock and great fur collared coat reminiscent of Margot Tennenbaum.

There's a different, less polished air to Tory Burch's new collection and according to an interview on Style.com, Burch described her line as "a little Parisian Chic". I love the solid, bright, block prints of Burch's past but the new toned down patterns are a welcome change. The best part? How easy it will be to integrate a piece into my closet!

Text Hannah Morris

McQueen Lives On

Once a legendary designer passes away, speculators always question whether the aesthetic will ever live up to its namesake. As a result, one can only assume the pressures felt by Alexander McQueen's creative director, Sarah Burton, as she displayed the Spring 2011 collection this week in Paris. After the late Alexander McQueen committed suicide in February, whispers surfaced on how the design house was going to survive. No one has McQueen's style, thought process, or how to make the world stop and wonder at his well-known designs. As hard as it is to live up to a legend, Burton put those doubters to rest as the collection left myself (and everyone in the fashion world) speechless. Burton kept the avant-garde beauty while softening the outfits with a whimsical element of her own. The collection featured long feathered gowns, hand-painted leather butterfly dresses, intricate gold detail on the accessories, and basket woven hair. My favorite outfit was the white halter dress with the golden leaf belt and gray faded print on the hem. The dress was almost hypnotic - it moved with the model while having great detail, style and wearable quality. Fashion Director of the Daily Telegraph, Hilary Alexander tweeted: "Sensational collection...Raffia , leather, feathers tailcoats, poppy prints. Awesome. Legacy lives on." It's peaceful to know that McQueen's design house lives on through Burton. Now, the future of the fashion world will continue to be stunned, fascinated, and taken back by any collection the design house of Alexander McQueen creates.

Text Jessica Moy