Fashionistas Flock to the City of Lights

Givenchy, Gaultier, Dior—you drool over the red carpet dresses in your guilty-pleasure magazines and you own the knock-offs. These designers are more than a logo on your shady street-side purchase; they are legends, royalty, fashion gods. And Paris Fashion Week is their utopian holiday. Along with the style-conscious capitals of London, Milan, and New York, Paris hosts a world-renowned week of fashion-forward events. The finale location of the four cities, Paris hosts an unparalleled affair.

Fashion Week—seven days of fabulous, non-stop partying, schmoozing, and runway shows (up to 20 a day!)—is an opportunity for fashion designers to display next season’s collections. A semi-annual event, Fashion Week showcases fall and winter collections in January, while spring and summer looks hit the runway in September. So why are designers thinking about next year’s bikinis when you’re about to start packing on your holiday pounds? Fashion Week is an opportunity for retail buyers to plan their purchases, and a chance for editors to realize what they’ll preach to the masses on the glossy pages of Vogue. Playing host to thousands of style-worshippers, Fashion Week is an occasion for designers to exhibit their couture clairvoyance. (Note: calling it haute couture is so blasé.)

Runway models aren’t the only ones turning heads at Fashion Week; the event is a rendez-vous for beautiful people the world over. Paris Fashion Week 2008 saw the likes of Maria Sharapova, Liv Tyler, Claudia Schiffer, and Kanye West. Boasting an audience of such A-list celebrities, this highly-photographed, publicized, and influential event is about more than just the art of fashion. Many shows are marked by over-the-top theatricals, including light shows and live music or pulsating dance beats. Throw in some champagne along with the complimentary designer hand bag stuffed with next season’s perfume, and voilà—the total sensory experience that is Fashion Week. So while some runway shows are as short as 7 minutes, a less-is-more attitude doesn’t typically dictate Fashion Week exhibitions, and the models aren’t wearing your typical department store finds. Expect pants made out of feathers and wooly mammoth coats. Anticipate uncomfortably large hair and rock star raccoon eyes. Who wears this stuff? No one. You’re at the couture show. Head to the prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear, RTW) shows to inspire your own wardrobe. While the runway fashions are primarily for the ladies, guys can get some GQ style tips at the Dior, Lanvin, and Hermès shows. 

Fashion Week shows are not open to the public, and entrance is granted by invitation only. Unless you’re an A-list celebrity, a fashion student, or a fashion legacy (Allegra Versace, Ally Hilfiger), you should stop harassing the mailman; you’re probably not getting that invitation. But don’t despair, or scalp your |budget airline ticket. While juiced-up, bulky security guards will thwart your plan to sneak into the Chanel show, it’s typical for insiders to pass extra event tickets to the most fashionable fans. But remember: awe-inspiring fashion doesn’t necessarily have to break the bank. Hit up your local thrift store, assemble a stunning ensemble, and jet-set for the star-studded event. Who knows—with that chic outfit you styled, you might even land on the runway. Just remember to leave your knock-offs at home; ripping off the designers isn’t the best way to charm your way in.