RUNWAY REPORT.....Paris Fashion Week: Balmain, Balenciaga S/S 2010

Bullets, Rocker/Biker Chicks and Copying: Paris Fashion Week continues...Where's My Pool Cabana: A Gold Look from Balmain Spring/Summer 2010 The House of Balmain and its designer, Christophe Decarnin, are having their moment in the fashion spotlight. All the "it" girls are wearing his micro-mini studded dresses. I remember about a month ago, shopping at the Beverly Hills Neiman Marcus and seeing one of his studded creations on a mannequin and thinking to myself how chic and modern it was, and how EVERY girl should own one--if they had the $5000!! Then I turned on my telly, and saw both Pink AND Shakira wearing THE SAME Balmain dress at the MTV VMA's--the one I gawked at in Neiman Marcus.Dominique Deveroux 2010: A look from Balmain Spring/Summer 2010 For Spring/Summer 2010, he continued his studded hard-edged Biker Chic look and expanded on it. Lots of padded shoulders a la Joan Collins (yep, the strong shoulder is still very IN kiddies). Lots of leather minis and the skinniest of leather pants. Metallics, golds and liquid jerseys were also abundant. Bullet Belt: A look from Balmain Spring/Summer 2010 Some dresses had what seemed like studded midriff waistbands but then, upon closer inspection, turned out to be BULLETS! I guess in this crazy economic times, with all the wars going on, even fashionable girls must be armed! Beware of the Balmain Girl! Click BELOW for the Balmain Spring/Summer 2010 Runway Show: Balenciaga: Hooded Chic: A Darker Look form Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2010 Nicolas Ghesquiere is still the wunderkid of Paris. And all those edgy French actresses, singers and trust-fund baby girls just adore him and his designs. If you are looking for pretty cocktail dresses, move along because Ghesquiere is not your guy. For Spring/Summer 2010, he's getting back to his rocker-chic hard edge (on the same tone as Balmain). His first exits were tight leather second-skin pants and a hoody. It didn't seem so Spring/Summer... But again, this is Spring/Summer Balenciaga style: She's got to be prepared for a light Paris Summer sprinkle of rain, perhaps. Ready For My Brie and Escargot: Leather and multi-colored beading at Balenciaga There were dresses, minis of course, with a strong 80s vibe. Very Darryl Hannah in Blade Runner, if the film was re-made for 2010. Color and fabric blocking--a key Balenciaga aesthetic--was prevalent, as you can see from the dresses here. Rodarte-ish: A look from Spring/Summer Balanciaga 2010 Tweed, mixed with leather, mixed with silk, mixed with glittery sequins. A couple of the looks reminded me of Rodarte, and how they like to mix the fabrics in unexplainable ways. On the same note, Cathy Horyn of the New York Times also commented on how one of Nicolas Ghesquiere's designs looked very much like a Raf Simons Menswear look he had done recently. Very interesting to say the least.This has not been the first time Ghesquiere has had to fend off the "copying" critiques. Click BELOW for the Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2010 Runway Video: