The New York based, high-end jewelery and timepiece line, "David Yurman"  befittingly chose Paris as their first European outlet and launched at the Printemps Haussmann department store during Paris F/W 2010 Fashion Week just in time for the Spring bling!

In true Parisian chicness they threw a private party for the city's fashion-setting crowd in the department store's new boutique space itself. Guests were surrounded by displays of  jewelery, champagne,  macarons to their hearts delight, French icons like Catherine Deneuve, and even Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing was there...

The inaugural cover features Canadian top model Jessica Stam...

Ellen von Unwerth and Erin Fetherston...

The handbags the Vogue Turkey magazines came in...

Me and Lindsay doing the 'blue steel' look...

A chilled presentation with grungy styling - a look Parisian girls go crazy for...

Bravo! Two-thumbs up!

 Vanessa Bruno

The Rick Owen's F/W 2010/11 show was powerful, dark and edgy - his warrior women models dressed in asymmetrical clothes with long coats, hoodies, leather jackets, big belts, furry gloves and even zigzag leggings dominated the catwalk. 

They all looked terrifyingly beautiful....

Set at the Theatre National de Chaillot, the lights dimmed, the curtain closed on  a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower, the audience hushed and off we entered Owen's World....

"Who the hell is James Goldstein" you ask? Interview Magazine will tell you...

(photo of James Goldstein and me by Dahnne Gueye)

When I heard that designers from South Africa will be showcasing their work during Paris Fashion week F/W 2010/11 - I literally dropped everything and sprinted like a spring-buck-on-heels to the prestigious George V hotel in the heart of chic Paris...

Arise Magazine - Africa's Global Style and Culture Magazine (a high-end monthly glossy sold throughout fashion capitals) brought 10 of Africa's best designers to showcase at the Arise L'Afrique-A-Porter Fall 2010/2011 show. 

This was also a first for African designers to present their work as an African collective to the media and buyers at Paris Fashion Week... EPIC!

I found that each of the 10 designers showcasing their work was outstandingly refreshing and a beautiful melange of mama-Africa echoing in their collections...

I am going to be slightly biased in this article and focus mainly on the South African designers....

The charming David Tlale from Johannesburg created a collection of glamorous garments - fearless in his use of uncompromising and unpredictable fabric, color and texture that result in pieces that both the Jackie O's and the Lady Gaga's out there would love...

Good thing he changed his studies from informatics to fashion - remember his name!

Another Johannesburg native is Clive Rundle who is renowned for his uncanny ability to embrace chaos and reconcile, the unimaginable with the imaginable, the ugly with the beautiful. His collection is titled ‘Marie Antoinette returns home from a lesbian wedding’ (love it!) and what's more he intertwined plenty of references to the upcoming Football World Cup in his garments such as a large necklace made entirely of plastic football player figures. I loved his energy and limitless imagination!

And lastly "Lunar" - a clothing brand sensitive to environmental concerns (love it!) founded by Karen Ter Morshuizen. She incorporates an abundance of natural and organic fabrics and traditional craft techniques such as knitting, naive embroidery, felting and darning... it's gets even better as she makes use of organic fabrics, utilizes responsible business practices and the preservation of nature is high on her list of priorities! In this collection she went for the all black theme in heavy knit-wear... 

And here's a group shot of Africa's fashion talent that showcased at Arise...
(from left to right) Christiaan Gabriel du Toit and Malcolm Kluk for Kluk CGDT (South Africa), Eric Raisina (Madagascar), Karen Ter Morshuizen for Lunar (South Africa), Fati Asebelua for MOMO (Nigeria), Didier Grumbach (President of FFC), David Tlale (South Africa), Folake Folarin-Coker for Tiffany Amber (Nigeria), Clive Rundle (South Africa), Zara Okapa for Jewel by Lisa (Nigeria), Eloye for Ayole (Nigeria/UK), Aisha Obuobi for Christie Brown (Ghana).

Singaporean, Paris-based designer, Andrew Gn's F/W 2010/11 collection was inspired by the Lettres Persanes (Persian Letters) written in 1721 by baron de Montesquieu which recounts the  adventures of two Persian noblemen traveling through France...

Fast-forward to 2010 and the story evolves into something  military-chic, Gothicly-royal  and rockstarishly  dreamy carried on a pair of long legs....it's the tale of Fashion that traveled through the catwalk of the Beaux-Arts of which Gn termed "Modern Rococo"  and which I'm sure will touch the hearts of many a lady...

featuring South African beauty Marike Le Roux (in the center)

And of course, a backstage fashion experience won't be the same without a bit of Vogue...