2011 Spring Summer Fashion Week

Rue Faubourg Music twitter.com Prabal Gurung is really hot right now and Alex Wang is the other new name to watch. The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world (along with those in Paris, London, and Milan) The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world´s first organized fashion week. Held in 1943, the event was designed to attract attention away from French fashion during World War II, when fashion industry insiders were unable to travel to Paris to see French fashion shows.

Fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert organized an event she called ”Press Week” to showcase American designers for fashion journalists, who had previously neglected their innovations. (Buyers were not admitted to the shows and instead had to visit designers´ showrooms.

Press Week was a success, and fashion magazines like Vogue, which were normally filled with French designs, increasingly featured American fashion. At the Fall 2009 Fashion Week the public got a taste of technology as it is shaping the future of fashion. It is not only making it cheaper and easier for designers to create their collections, it is also saving them travel time as many broadcast their lines over the Internet. Many designers opted to not only market online but also sell exclusively online. Designer Norma Kamali and the Polo Ralph.

The French capital has always been a fashionable destination, while some world cities fall in and out of favor, Paris’s blend of history, art, architecture, and bohemian culture keeps it eternally in style.

Accommodation in Paris reflects centuries of changing trends. Beyond the old-fashioned opulence of the Ritz and the George V, there’s a new generation of hotels bringing fun and modernity to a Parisian trip. Historic Haussmann-era buildings sport designer refits complete with high-tech gadgets and sleek new furnishings, at a fraction the price of their elite counterparts.

In time for Paris Fashion Week 2011, Franco Files  rounds up the chicest urban hotels in Paris.

Seven

This boutique four-star hotel in the fifth arrondissement has standard guest rooms in three bold styles, plus seven individually-styled suites. Neon lighting, transparent showers, and Swarovski crystals are some of the more subtle design points, with levitating beds, suspended tubs, and a bathroom chessboard covering the more whimsical end of the design spectrum.

Pershing Hall

A block from the Champs-Élysées is the four-star Pershing Hall. Though guest rooms are muted in design, an illuminated atrium brings color and drama to the dining patio. A vertical garden creates a “living wall” that changes hue throughout the day, creating an ambient space for the restaurant and a favorite night spot for locals.

Le Secret de Paris

Convenient to the Saint Lazare station, this 29-room four-star hotel offers six different themes. These include “Eiffel,” which features wall murals depicting the view from the Eiffel Tower, and “Atelier d’Artiste,” which emulates living in an artist’s Parisian loft. Mod-cons include free Internet, flatscreen TV, music system, multi-function shower, and boutique toiletries.

Le Vignon

Smart white rooms with pretty country accents feature in this four-star property next to the Church of Madeleine in central Paris. Modernized loft rooms, bespoke art, and plush beds make this a comfortable and stylish stay with excellent access to Paris’s main sights.

Hotel Élysées Mermoz
A short stroll from the Arc de Triomphe, this newly-renovated four-star boutique features contemporary classic design in warm tones. Juliette balconies give guests quaint Parisian street views, while flatscreen TVs, iPod docks, light-blocking curtains, and L’Occitane bath products ensure all modern requirements are met.

Hotel Cambon

Next to the Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre Museum, this four-star property has one of the best positions in Paris for sightseeing. Paintings, vases, rich fabrics, and trompe l’oeil murals create whimsical living spaces, with some guest rooms featuring private terraces and French windows.

Best Western Opera Diamond Hotel

Close to Saint Lazare railway terminal, this is stylish monochrome property diverges from the conventional Best Western design. With only 30 rooms, guests can enjoy a boutique experience plus a long list of in-room conveniences like iPod docks, Nespresso machines, and WiFi. Guests can retreat to an immaculate French garden in the courtyard.

Pavillon Nation

This modern three-star hotel in the 11th arrondissement features sleek contemporary décor and full meeting facilities. Close to the metro, it’s one of the few budget-friendly chic hotels in Paris, offering fully renovated rooms, free WiFi, and cable channels.

Ares Eiffel

Versace tile and Bang&Olufsen sound systems feature in this elegant four-star boutique close to the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower. Baroque fabrics and rich textures create luxurious living spaces, complemented by free WiFi and flatscreen TVs with movies on demand.

Le Bellechasse

With every square inch designed by Christian Lacroix, this four-star boutique is a super stylish retreat – just a block from the Seine River and a few steps from Orsay Museum. There are three categories of room – “Discovery,” “Original,” and “Privilege” – each with a range of color and design themes.