From an absurdly opulent film shoot at the Opera Garnier to a Chanel catwalk along the Seine, fashion week offered a very different view of Paris on Tuesday from the riots of recent days. The country is still licking its wounds and facing up to the deep societal divisions exposed by days of violence sparked a week ago by the police killing of a teenager, said AFP. The riots have died down since the weekend, and it was the other France of unbridled luxury, craftsmanship and conspicuous excess that took center-stage on the second day of haute couture week.
In the stone cloisters of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs adjoining the palatial Louvre, Elie Saab unveiled his latest collection to a rapt audience of VIPs, including Alicia Silverstone, on Wednesday. Amid the historic venue, Saab presented a couture show that astounded attendees with its intricate detailing and magnificent silhouettes and lived up to the venue’s grandeur, The Associated Press reported.
Fendi put a fitting exclamation point on Paris couture week by drawing an A-list crowd to the opulent Palais Brongniart. Naomi Watts, Zoe Saldana, Cardi B and Shakira were among the celebrities seated front row for a show that dazzled with its artful fusion of jewelry-making and deceptively simple couture.
The fashion world is on edge as haute couture week kicks off on Monday in Paris, which has seen nights of violent riots over the police killing of a teenager. French label Celine canceled its menswear show scheduled outside the official calendar on Sunday due to the riots, with designer Hedi Slimane saying it was "inconsiderate" to hold a fashion show when Paris was "bereaved and bruised".
Britain's biggest sportswear retailer JD Sports Fashion will open about 50 stores in the Middle East after agreeing its first ever franchise deal with Dubai-based GMG, it said on Monday. The trainers and sportswear chain said its entry into the region forms part of it strategy to expand into underpenetrated markets. The 10-year agreement will focus on locations in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt.