Paris Prêt-a-porter Fall 2010Dates: Mar 3 – 11, 2010                                                               

louvre_sully_wing

DALLAS, Dec 30, 2009 / FW/ — As we say goodbye to 2009, there are already indicators that 2010 is going to be much better with the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rising to 52.9 (1985=100) in December, from 50.6 in November.

This is the second month that consumer confidence showed an increase; modest as it is, it is good news for luxury purveyors, an industry that is hardest hit with the big “R” word. With Expectations Index also increasing to 75.6, compared to last month’s 70.3, there is also hope that consumers will finally loosen up their purse strings.

That said, the high street fashion designers who show in Paris and busy creating their Fall 2010 / Winter 2010 collections have something to look forward to. Their clientele, which obviously dwindled during the past 18 months, seems to be ready once again to do some splurging on luxury fashion.

So, what can we expect in Paris in March? The over-the-top fashion, a favorite and very popular during the times of plenty is still too early for a comeback. The more sensible silhouettes that we had seen during the past two seasons will still dominate the catwalk.

It’s not to say that it will be boring; far from it, mind you! It was not boring during the Great Recession, so why will we head to Dullesville now when we are already on the road to recovery.

With everyone learning something from the recession, wherein some had even to re-invent themselves or even just re-evaluate their strategies, a new way of thinking had emerged.

It is no longer being “over –the-top” all the time. It has become being inventive and creative at the same time as fashion houses compete for a smaller market.

And that is what we can expect in Paris – inventive, creative and raising the bar once more on themselves.

[MARI DAVIS]

News, Opinions, Editorial

Runway Shows

No Responses