Rumor flying around was that Amy Winehouse was set to perform for LVMH owned, Louis Vuitton, during Paris Fashion Week. But as it turned out, she was hired to perform at LVMH subsidiary, Fendi’s Paris flagship store on Avenue Montaigne store on Friday night.

According to ElleUK, the fashion pack were crawling over each other to get an invite. With Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Jessica Alba, Sophia Coppola, Rihanna, Kanye West and Karl Lagerfeld in attendance, why wouldn’t you?

Before Winehouse started performing, she declared “forgive my ignorance, I don’t know anything about fashion.” But she did know to wear something from the people hiring her for the gig - accessorising her D&G dress with a Fendi belt.

Let’s hope that she definitely is not planning to launch a fashion or beauty line then.

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Even if you don’t check out focus on what looks Karl Lagerfeld design for Chanel’s fall winter 2008/09 runway in Paris this week (FYI it was gorgeous coats and capes focusing on a more defined silhouette and cinched in at the waist) you couldn’t go past the Chanel accessory Ferris Wheel /Merry-Go-Round.

As Lady Amanda Harlech says in the clip below, the Merry-Go-Round was used to display all the fall winter 2008/09 accessories - once Lagerfefld saw it, he apparently decided to not accessorize the models at all. From Chanel logo brooches, strings of pearls, hats, ballet flats, the 2.55 bag, bangles and necklaces, it was all recreated in a larger form and used instead of horses on the Merry-Go-Round.

Genius. Though not surprising when you factor in the fact that just last month Chanel’s Haute Couture collection featured a replica giant Chanel tweed jacket?

What a video of the show, focusing mainly on Amanda Harlech talking about the collection and the Merry-go-Round, below.

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“I’m pretending I’m a supermodel”
- Patrick Dempsey front row before the Versace show Thursday night.

We think he makes a great model as shown in the above Versace spring 2008 men’s advertising campaign. McDreamy definitely cuts a fine figure in Versace.

The Chanel spring summer 2008 runway collection show was not without its dramas. There was the pre-requisite celebrity filled front row, but that was nothing compared to the news that Karl Lagerfeld had rejected three models on the day for being ‘too skinny’. Karl said it was the first time he had ever done something like that.

“I have nothing against skinny girls. But these were terrible. They looked as if they had grown up in a Third World country with no food to eat,” he said.

That came as Gemma Ward was called “positively curvaceous” by the UK Telegraph (call it a compliment or whatever you may), and a model lineup that included Aussie Catherine McNeil, and the likes of Irina Lazareanu, Natalia Vodianova, Sasha Pivovarova, Lily Donaldson, Mariacarla Boscono, Coco Rocha, Raquel Zimmermann, Lisa Cant, Angela Lindvall, Anja Rubik, Jessica Stam, and Snejana Onopka.

But what was the show like?

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Before the Chanel spring summer 2008 show even started, the fashion pack were greeted with photographers vying to get photos of the celebrities who were invited to perch themselves on the front row.

In an unlikely pairing, Dita von Teese and Victoria Beckham arrived together, one glowing white and the other glowing bronze. The contrast of a completely made up face with one that was hidden behind large sunglasses was a sight to be seen. Victoria reportedly made time to stop and air kiss top fashion editors before taking her seat.

Other Chanel favourites graced the runway were Rachel Bilson (who was meeting Karl Lagerfeld for the first time), Kirsten Dunst (who posed for pictures with Lagerfeld), Courtney Love, Kanye West, Lily Allen, Claudia Schiffer and Clemence Posey. Not a bad turn out… but what were the clothes like? Stay tuned to find out!

Florals and strong stiff silhouettes were the way forward at Balenciaga. Paired with gladiator shoes, that pretty much sums up Nicholas Ghesquiere’s spring 2008 collection. “I wanted the color of flowers but not their niceness, where the look was gentle yet tough,” he told FWD.

The collection featured pieces that were meant to be worn as a single outfit, the figure altering shapes meant no mixing and matching to tone down the floral print or softening the bright florals. Shoulders were stiff and puffed, hips were emphasied, hemlines were short, and flora was bright and abundant. Except for in the shiny and sleek shirts and pants.

Apparently 200 people were allowed in to watch the runway show, and see Natalia Vodianova’s runway return after having her third child three weeks ago. I loved the puff shoulders, but can it be worn off the catwalk?

[Photos: Elle.com]

It is said that Alexander McQueen owes a major part of his success to Isabella Blow. So it was fitting that he has dedicated his spring summer 2008 show this Friday at Paris fashion week to his late friend who passed away this May.

According to the WWD, Blow “would no doubt have been pleased with the designer’s epic, poster-size invitation by illustrator Richard Gray. It depicts a triumphant Blow, in a McQueen dress and a Philip Treacy headdress, in a horse-drawn carriage ascending to heaven.”

What a beautiful tribute.

[Via WWD]

With a large mouth for models to walk out of, one would almost expect another wacky show. But instead we were treated to a charmingly immaculate collection with all types’ romantic frills and ruffles. Watch the video and see what you think… the music is just too cute.

The collection was a lot more wearable than their fall 2007 collection, and I loved the guitar accents (on the clothes, not around the neck.

Two of fashion’s most eccentric characters in Anna Piaggi and Gareth Pugh sat side by side on the front row of Givenchy’s spring 2008 runway show.

I just had to have a giggle when I saw this picture. It looks like they both loved the vertical striped suit and decided to share it with Anna wearing the pants and Gareth wearing the jacket. Also, get a load of their shoes. Definitely one of my favourite front row snaps - much more interesting than seeing endless Demi Moore wearing the designers gear photos.