2008-10-03T12:51:31Z tag:voices.washingtonpost.com,2008:/fashion//78 Copyright (c) 2008, WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive 2008-10-03T12:51:31Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-10-03:/fashion/2008/10/an_american_in_paris.html

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Marvin Traub, the former chairman of Bloomingdale's. But I freely admit that the driving force behind my race against the clock to get to his book party was the fact that it was held at the residence of Craig Stapleton, the American ambassador to France. Swanky, eh? The party ended at 8 p.m. and I was checking my watch and hyperventilating in traffic because I wanted to...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-10-02T14:01:21Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-10-02:/fashion/2008/10/plans_go_awry.html

Sometimes the best organized schedule goes awry. I had every intention of getting to the Sonia Rykiel 40th anniversary show this evening... even though it was on the outskirts of Paris and scheduled to begin at 10:30 p.m. Why? Because I am an intrepid reporter. But alas, tardy shows and writing duties got in the way. So here I am, with nothing to tell you other than the macaroons at the Dries Van Noten show...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-10-01T20:41:29Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-10-01:/fashion/2008/10/all_quiet_in_paris.html

Oh how I wish I could tell you about the cocktail party for Derek Lam or the Bulgari store opening, all of which occured over the last couple of days. But no, I was shuttered in my room writing or sitting on a bleacher waiting for the terribly tardy Martin Margiela show to begin. So much champagne that got away from me. There was champagne at the Margiela show. But since the house is known...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-30T21:31:57Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-30:/fashion/2008/09/goons_and_graces.html

This is one of those days when I witness the best and worst of the fashion industry. The worst revealed itself at the Christian Dior show this afternoon, in the form of a large burly man in a suit who could best be described as a goon. He was serving as some sort of security guard for the editor of Vogue. Now I've got no issue with folks who require security, want security or have...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-29T12:05:34Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-29:/fashion/2008/09/bienvenue.html

I arrived in Paris Saturday afternoon after throwing a hissy fit at the Air France counter in Milan. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate Air France. First, the guy at the counter told me that my single bag weighed too much and I had to remove two kilos before he could check it in. After I did that, he then told me the big bag was 15 kilos over weight...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-26T12:50:56Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-26:/fashion/2008/09/finito.html

It wouldn't be fashion season in Europe if I didn't spend at least one afternoon in a mental muddle. Today, the last day of the Milan shows, was that day. I threw my Versace invitation in the trash. This was not a commentary on the show. It happened during a frenzy of handbag organization when I began tossing out pretty much everything in sight except my wallet and my umbrella. Bagonghi in Velvet Petit Rouge...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-25T14:53:19Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-25:/fashion/2008/09/what_would_miss_manners_say.html

What a strange evening I had at the Tod's party. The event was organized to celebrate the debut of a film/commercial for the company's "Pashmy" handbag, which looks something like a nylon bowling bag. The commercial was filmed by Dennis Hopper and star actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who also attended the dinner in all of her tall, slim, blonde glory. Tall, slim and blonde Gywneth Paltrow. (Luca Bruno/AP) The strangeness began when I arrived at the...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-24T15:19:01Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-24:/fashion/2008/09/a_schedule_gone_wild.html

There was not enough prosecco in all of Milan to save this day. it began bright and early with the Moschino show at 9 a.m. I will not bore those who have read this blog before with my ranting about how shows here begin inexplicably late. The Moschino show, the first of the day, began almost an hour late, thus causing a domino effect on a schedule that had shows planned every 45 minutes. Sometime...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-23T12:36:48Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-23:/fashion/2008/09/pringle_pantyhose_and_zaha_had.html

This was one of those busy fashion days during which I am sure I wore my heels down by a millimeter or two. It began with a trot on the treadmill at 8:30 a.m. and ended with a dinner with the Pringle people and this blog item. Neil Barrett runway show in Milan. (Courtesy of Neil Barrett) In the afternoon, I stopped by the Neil Barrett showroom. His great success has been as a menswear...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-22T13:15:07Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-22:/fashion/2008/09/capri_milan_and_a_new_day_at_f.html

Gianfranco Ferre '09 (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images) The Milan spring 2009 fashion shows began over the weekend, with the first of the major design houses unveiling their collections Sunday. I actually arrived in Milan on Thursday. But I left immediately for a few days of Zen time in Capri because I'm never one to turn down an opportunity for self-pampering. Things would have been more relaxing if I had been up to date on the...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-12T13:23:23Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-12:/fashion/2008/09/hilfiger_part_2_and_siriano_pa.html

Hilfiger Spring '09 I mentioned earlier that I'd gone to a preview of the Tommy Hilfiger collection and that the designer had been inspired by the idea of relaxed glamour. Well, he put his collection on the runway last evening at Lincoln Center. In order to improve his business, he has adopted the European model for the American market. That means that he's shifted his sensibility and his prices upwards. Except for the line...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-11T13:13:30Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-11:/fashion/2008/09/i_heart_ll.html

There is a reason - other than the fact that he is built like an oak tree - why the ladies love L.L. Cool J. He is charm-tastic. I went to the party at the Bryant Park Grill celebrating the line that he has created for Sears. The line is for children, teenagers and men (not for women) and debuted Sept. 7. L.L. Cool J He told me that he spent the last five years...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-10T13:52:38Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-10:/fashion/2008/09/political_mania.html

I was at the Narciso Rodriguez show this evening where I met Diane English, the director of the upcoming film "The Women." She's best known for her long-running television show "Murphy Brown." Everyone has been talking politics between shows and this being an industry filled with East Coast types no one would be surprised to discover that most of the conversation has been about Barack Obama. And despite a story on "Good Morning America" that...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-09T21:18:15Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-09:/fashion/2008/09/high_line_hilfiger_and_holy_co.html

Everything about fashion week sounds glamorous in theory. But before you know it, you're running after cabs with the hem falling out of your Marni dress and the glint of a safety pin clearly visible despite your best attempts to hide it. Monday. Blecch! I've had better days. I begin this posting with a report from a champagne and caviar event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Calvin Klein company. I wish I could...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan 2008-09-08T16:11:13Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-09-08:/fashion/2008/09/and_so_it_begins.html

The spring 2009 fashion season is upon us and there was a long list of shows and presentations over the weekend. I wish I could say that things got off to a rocking good start, but no. Slow and steady. Miguel Adrover: back in the game. (AP)Enlarge Image I'm looking forward to the shows that typically have something provocative - or at least surprising - to say: Proenza Schouler, Marc Jacobs, etc. By the...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Robin Givhan