The final Alexander McQueen collection designed by the label’s founder was seen in Paris today. Just sixteen pieces were shown to an intimate guest list in a gilded room at Francois Pinault headquarters. Though the collection was short, the impact was enormous – both because McQueen delivered a stunning couture-like pieces with immaculate embroidery and prints, and because the entire room (the entire world, in fact) knew it was the end of an era. Although his namesake brand will live on, these are the last works of the late Lee Alexander McQueen. According to WWD, the moment and the music (opera) produce tears in the eyes of many of those in attendance.

“It was a very moving experience to take a deep and serious look at his last collection. It showed Lee’s unique talent to create pieces of beauty that touch many of your senses, leaving one enriched,” said Robert Polet, CEO of the Gucci Group. “Although the sense of loss afterwards, I found overwhelming.”
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Unlike the short Fall proper collection (one wonders if that’s was really planned), McQueen’s pre-fall collection was a hulking 55+ pieces. Though still packed with McQueen drama, the collection seems more accessible to the average consumer than the one above. Almost as if this were RTW, while the main presentation were Fall 2010 couture. Hmm…

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Photos: wwd.com & alexandermcqueen.com via ana @tFS

Collections like this aren’t usually my favorite, but Elie Saab’s Spring 2010 was gorgeous. I even loved a few of the one-shoulder dresses and I’m sick to death of the one-shoulder look. I can imagine celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe having a field day with this, as every piece seems prime for the red carpet.

I would love to see Tilda Swinton in that second in from the left above. Or Kerry Washington in the embellished black number below. Which red carpet jockey do you imagine in these fine frocks?

photos: wwd.com

There have been plenty of lovely collections this season. Tracy Reese was nice, Christopher Kane was inspiring, and of course my Galliano delivered for Dior. But not until now has any collection made me gasp with delight. Such is the case for Givenchy Spring 2010. Riccardo Tisci is pretty much my hero right now – well on his way to Cult sainthood. The fall couture collection was amazing and now this… *swoon*

It was hard to edit down, as the entire show was amazing, but view the Cult picks below. Click for larger views.

photos: wwd.com

Balmain, which has become one of the biggest rages of the fashion and celebrity set in recent seasons, showed in Paris this week. And thank goodness Decarnin (pictured above, right) had toned down the 80s flavor, which I am entirely over. In other news, the label is riding it’s popularity to the hilt, which expansions to footwear and eyewear:

Next month, Balmain’s two-story flagship on the Rue François 1er will be shuttered for two months for a top-to-bottom renovation. And chairman and chief executive Alain Hivelin is reviewing the Paris house’s network of licenses, guiding certain partners in line with Decarnin’s rock ’n’ roll aesthetic, and phasing out those who don’t cut the mustard.

The brand signed a women’s footwear license with Giuseppe Zanotti, effective since the spring 2009 season, which grew out of a runway collaboration stretching back to Decarnin’s first show in 2006. A men’s shoe line could be added soon. New for next season is a capsule eyewear collection developed with Oliver Peoples.

In total, Balmain has around 20 licenses in Asia and the Middle East, including scarves, small leather goods, ties and men’s tailoring. In an interview, Hivelin, who became the house’s main shareholder in July 2005, declined to give sales figures, but said Balmain has been profitable since 2005 and logged total annual sales growth of around 60 percent the last three years. Read more at WWD.com…

Boots from Giuseppe Zanotti for Balmain (Click each boot for more info or to purchase)

This season Balmain’s disco partiers from last year have to forced into a world of decadent decay and militancy. Some of them are still wearing their party clothes…

There was sort of an odd music choice for the show, which was just crying out for some rock flair. My eyes were happy, but my ears wanted some Freddy Mercury or Mars Volta… See/hear for yourself: