couturiere

A curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London poses in front of garments included in the exhibit “Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto,” the first U.K. exhibition dedicated to the work of French couturière Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel.

In the quaint fishing towns of Juan-Les-Pins and Antibes, Chanel’s minimalist mariner’s sweaters and ropes of pearls were the height of chic, but the couturière was also a trendsetter in the garden, where she popularized “poorer” species like lavender and olive trees as opposed to the usual roses and lilies.

Caroline, a set designer in the theatre, has a daughter of about five and an infant son; Liliane, a weaver and couturière who hand-makes clothes to order, has a boy of seven and a girl who’s also about five.

The Chinese-born couturiere Yiqing Yin unveiled her debut ready-to-wear collection for the house famous for its loose, fluid silhouettes.

French fashionistas flocked to the front row beneath the lofty ceilings of the Petit Palais - from model Farida Khelfa to legendary couturiere Christian Lacroix - in a testament to the growing star power of designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, whose collection now opens the Paris Fashion Week calendar.