In France, cremations are most popular in Paris.

> Dress for success

> Killing for honour

> Man marries four women

> Perfume do's and don'ts

> There's money in Mao

> Divorced via SMS

> Cape Town's Baby Expo

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Today, 24 November 2009

› McBride: I'm being bugged

› Top ANC official hijacked

› Batting for Hersch

› Els gets thumbs down

› Maroga's salary summary

Yesterday, 23 November 2009

› 'Malema must apologise'

› 'They tried to kill me'

› Boks are thugs - Ireland

› Malema attack 'racist'

› YCLSA: Malema a racist

The rarefied world of haute couture starts showing summer collections in the French capital from Monday, when a host of newcomers join the hardcore names for a bigger than usual luxury line-up.

Nearly twice as many designers as last season have been invited to present women's collections in this busy four-day showcase of luxury and craftsmanship — a testament to efforts to show the strength of the top-end, made-to-order sector.

Indeed, the schedule has had to be extended by a day to accommodate the new faces set to join couture's top-flight in-crowd, such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix and Jean Paul Gaultier.

"We think all the new designers we invited have couture savoir-faire, all have been sponsored by the grand couturiers," said Didier Grumbach, president of the French Couture Federation.

British designer John Galliano's show for Dior will lead the way on Monday for the spring-summer 2007 collections, as he marks his 10th anniversary this year at the creative helm of the French fashion house.

Valentino and Giorgio Armani add veteran Italian pulling power to the haute couture line-up.

And Elie Saab kicks off the style extravaganza, after his dazzling 'Sun of Beirut' tribute to his native, war-scarred Lebanon at last season's ready-to-wear fashion week.

As in recent previous seasons, just eight of the 10 French labels that meet the rigorous technical requirements of haute couture will step into the creative spotlight this season.

However, the official programme will feature 28 presentations, buoyed, in part, by an initiative by the French Couture Federation.

It premiered images of some designer's creations on its Internet site at the end of last year, in an effort to generate orders and therefore funds for financing a January presentation.

Designers to benefit included Portugal's Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Richard Rene, a former assistant to Jean Paul Gaultier, and Marc Le Bihan, returning after several seasons' absence.

On the last day, Thursday, the schedule has been devoted to Paris newcomers, who include the British label Boudicca by the duo Zowie Broach and Brian Kirby and France's Lefranc-Ferrant by Beatrice Ferrant and Mario Lefranc.

After its return to the catwalk last July following a four-year absence, French fashion house Carven, established in Paris by Carmen Carven in 1945, again plans to unveil a collection.

So too, for the lesser known French designer Eymeric Francois, a former assistant to Thierry Mugler and Christian Lacroix, who has built up a reputation for his love of working on corsetry.

Belgian designer Martin Margiela, whose house does not generally go in for catwalk shows, will offer up his unique creations for viewing by appointment at its studios in Paris' 11th arrondissement.

Additionally, about 15 designers, including Lebanon's Georges Chakra, are due to unveil collections on the sidelines of the official calendar.

AFP