Hollywood On The Seine
Designers Play To The Stars
The Giorgio Armani show capped a week of extravagant catwalk shows at Paris Fashion Week, signaling the start of a frenzied campaign by top designers to dress the stars for the Oscars. The Italian designer wowed the crowd with a collection inspired by the maharajas of India. At left, a model walks the catwalk during Armani's show on Jan. 24, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
Hours after receiving word of her Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for "Notes on a Scandal," actress Cate Blanchett arrives at the Armani show in Paris on Jan. 24, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
A model wears a bead-encrusted creation by Giorgio Armani during his Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture collection, presented in Paris on Jan. 24, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
Models walk the catwalk at the Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2007 fashion show presented in Paris on Jan. 24, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
Jean-Paul Gaultier gained worldwide notoriety when he dressed Madonna in a conical bra for a 1980s tour, and he hasn't lost his sense of showmanship. At left, burlesque star Dita Von Teese appears on the runway at Gaultier's Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture fashion collection in Paris on Jan. 24, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
A model poses on the runway in a vivid blue-and-red outfit by Jean-Paul Gaultier during his Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture show in Paris on Jan. 24, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
Jean-Paul Gaultier appears on the runway to acknowledge applause at the end of his Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture fashion collection in Paris on Jan. 24, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
At Paris Fashion Week, couturiers presented vibrant new collections that defied doomsayers who routinely predict the demise of haute couture. Here, a model sweeps down the runway in a gown by Italian fashion designer Ricardo Tisci for Givenchy's Spring/Summer 2007 collection, presented on Jan. 23, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
Another of Hollywood's favorite designers, notably of actress Halle Berry, is Elie Saab. Here, a model wears a gown by the Lebanese-born fashion designer during his Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture show in Paris on Jan. 22, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
The design trio called On Aura Tout Vu managed to be both dramatic and funky in Paris. Here, a model poses in pink during the Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture collections on Jan. 23, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
She must be spending too much time in the office: A model covered with sticky notes poses on the runway during the On Aura Tout Vu Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture show in Paris on Jan. 23, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
They must be making a statement about modern life, or something. A model decked out in cell phones walks the runway for On Aura Tout Vu during the Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture collections in Paris on Jan. 23, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
Get the message? A model carrying two carrier pigeons shows an outfit for On Aura Tout Vu during the Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture show in Paris on Jan. 23, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
Hollywood stars looking for new glad rags would do well to stop by to see what Dominique Sirop is up to. A model presents a creation by the French designer during his Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture collections in Paris, Jan. 22, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
Also worth a stop for the stars is fashion designer Dominique Sirop. This dramatic gown was part of his Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture fashion collection, presented in Paris on Jan. 22, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
A model walks the runway in a gown by French designer Dominique Sirop during his Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture show in Paris on Jan. 22, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
South African fashion designer Gavin Rajah is making a big splash in Paris. This ruffled outfit was part of his Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture fashion collection, presented on Jan. 23, 2007.
Designers Play To The Stars
Haute couture had been in decline for decades, with only a few hundred women in the world still willing to spend up to six figures on a made-to-measure dress. But some see signs of a revival, thanks to the new rich of the U.S., Russia and the Mideast. At left, Nicolas Le Cauchois and a model acknowledge applause at his Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture show in Paris on Jan. 25, 2007.