Remember when Helmut Lang caused such a big stir, and chain reaction within the New York fashion community, when he decided to show well before Paris? Well, it seems just being before Europe is not enough….The ‘new’ status symbol will be getting a time slot during Paris couture week. Yohji Yamamoto, whose ready to wear is arguably on par with couture (I’m afraid that not too many other fashion designers can make the same claim), made news this season, when he showed his spring/summer 2003 collection months ahead of his fellow designers, kicking off couture week in the City of Lights. And of course, our very own Ralph Rucci, who has been getting a lot of well deserved publicity lately, is in Paris as the first American designer since Mainbocher, to have been invited by the Chambre Syndicale, to show at this prestigious time. The problem is, many run-of-the-mill designers, who probably shouldn’t even be showing collections at all, will want to follow suit. In the meanwhile, speaking about Rucci, I have a feeling that his New York shows will be a lot harder to get into from now on, and that star editors like Anna Wintour and Glenda Bailey, who many not normally have attended, will be there front row and center!
