Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton AFP

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Today, 09 November 2009

Yesterday, 08 November 2009

› Malema’s life in danger

› Bok player ratings

› Hofmeyr addresses Joost

› Major airport work done

› Bok captain heading home

Miuccia Prada presented her Miu Miu line for the first time in Paris instead of Milan on Sunday, while Marc Jacobs wrapped up the winter catwalk season here with comfy chic at Louis Vuitton.

Giant hoods, sweater dresses and wide trousers largely defined the Vuitton ready-to-wear look for autumn-winter 2006-07, presented at the end of an eight-day run of women's collections.

Comfort also seems to be key, with roomy, nylon-look cagoules edged in fur, hats, tweedy or fur coats or a cardigan knitted in mink. Jacobs swung between tweed and latex for his suit jackets, while he padded a skirt or opted for fox, throwing in easy sweater dresses or tunics.

Winter comfort also means snow boots, sable mittens or thick leather gloves, while, stepping in from the cold, a leopard-print on a red dress is offered for indoor chic.

Earlier, Italian designer Miuccia Prada chose the small, woodbeamed salons of a big Parisian restaurant with its crystal chandeliers as the setting to introduce her Miu Miu line to the Paris fashion crowd.

Like her collections for Prada, the latest of which was presented in Milan just under a fortnight ago, the younger line has always been shown in the Italian city since its launch in 1993.

Miuccia Prada

But this year, the designer has taken a different approach to "better distinguish the two labels which are often mixed up", the fashion house has said.

Perched on thick wedgies encrusted with precious stones, bare-legged models wore micro-mini dresses, or equally short skirts, which puffed out or were like little ice-skating numbers.

Golden thread lit up the deep reds, bronzey greens or shades of grey.

A black bustier dress adorned with an antique vase containing a bunch of tulips was eye-catching. A sweater, a belted jacket with fur sleeves or, still, a tiny blouson were paired with the dresses which had an overall youthful air.

At Lanvin, Alber Elbaz kept his eye firmly on the cut of the clothes which were largely unadorned with decoration but cut a striking pose with their defined shape, layering and play on proportion.

The Israeli-American designer also blurred the line between male and female dressing, offering different takes on the tuxedo, which was cropped and worn with pants or oversized and long like a dress.

And he added big bow ties, sending his models out from behind an enormous white door.

But he was most successful with his dresses — either with a light, airy fabric in a darker shade forming the outer layer over a skin-colour dress, or satiny smooth fabric in pale blue or purple as the illusionary front of a matt black dress.

Big, round, tone-on-tone buttons were all that was required on a collarless coat. He also threw in a welcome fire-engine red for a dress with huge balloon sleeves, vivid purple or blood orange.

AFP