Paris Fashion Week: What the Editors are Wearing

By Chris Frey
September 29, 2010

Paris Fashion Week has arrived, and with it the powerful French design houses of Balenciaga, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Louis Vuitton, among others, will present their Spring 2011 collections, live, for lucky fashion insiders. (The rest of us will catch the looks online shortly thereafter.)

And while the looks on the runway are obviously influential, nowadays, the Fashion Week spectacle off the runway plays an equal part in trendsetting.

The show attendees—from fashion editors to photographers, off-duty models, buyers and other fashion fixtures—present "street style" at its finest. Which means fashion editors who decide which trends will make it into the pages of their magazines keep one eye on the runway, one eye on the crowd and a third eye on one another.

We caught up with editors from Allure, InStyle, Teen Vogue, Lucky and Glamour to find out what they're turning to this season when the pressure is on to look the part. These experts are skilled at successfully embracing trends while still looking unique. We love that they aren’t afraid to cop to a bargain or return again and again to a favorite vintage find.

And we noticed several trends emerging just among our select group: long vest coats, cross-body chain handle bags, wedges (shoes and boots) and hobo bags (studded or zippered). Further, our subjects all emphasized that the secret is in the tiny touches. Jen Ford, Fashion News Director at Lucky, sums up this season saying, “What feels so fresh to me are girls sporting an elegant simplicity; a breather from the layer-it-on street styling. It may be as simple as a white shirt and black pants, but it’s all about the attention to detail: a white silky shirt cut straight and narrow through the torso and trousers in a really chic silhouette.”

Here's a peek into the Fashion Week wardrobes of six editors, along with options—sometimes exact replicas—of what they’re wearing.

Jen Ford, Fashion News Director, Lucky

Roll over items for details

New Miu Miu Glitter Ankle Strap Wedge

(buy it now price, $399)

New Equipment Military Blouse

(buy it now price, $94)

Bat Ami Hammered Ring

(buy it now price, $89.99)

New Rebecca Minkoff Clutch

(buy it now price, $350)

Paris Fashion Week: What the Editors are Wearing

This season, Ford favors her pink Vanessa Bruno peaked shoulder blazer, black suede choker by Katharine Rise, a long black leather vest coat from Hayden-Harnett, Estelle Deve rings (worn on each finger), J Crew khaki mini belle skirt, Miu Miu wedges, French Connection black-and-white striped skirt and her vintage red-and-gold YSL military belt.

Leah Karp, Accessories Director, Allure

New Studded Hobo

(buy it now price, $29.25)

Rolex Ladies Stainless Steel Watch

(buy it now price, $3,595)

New CC Skye Cuff

(buy it now price, $169)

New Christian Louboutin Platforms

(buy it now price, $799)

New J Brand Agnes

(buy it now price, $183)

(Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images)

Karp is mixing antique rings from her mother and her vintage stainless Rolex with basics like J crew t-shirts and J. Brand "Agnes" pants in navy. Not surprising for an accessories editor, her emphasis is on jewelry, shoes and bags. She's turning to her Lanvin black raw-edged satin sandals, CC Skye gold studded bracelet and mini spike bangle, a Romygold black hobo with gold studs, a Bounkit faceted lapis necklace and Louboutin platform nude snake sandals.

Dana Avidan, Fashion Market Editor, InStyle

Apple iPhone 4

(buy it now price, $659.99)

New Givenchy Gladiator Wedge Bootie

(buy it now price, $549.99)

Vintage Ray Ban Wayfarers

(buy it now price, $379.39)

New Rebecca Taylor Dress

(buy it now price, $180)

Avidan relies on her iPhone 4 to keep her frantic fashion schedule in order. She also can’t live without her See By Chloe black wedge lace up booties, Proenza Schouler tortoise wayfarers, Olivia Harris zippered hobo bag, Alexa Chung for Madewell blouse, a military inspired vest coat by Veda and a floral mini from Rebecca Taylor.

Sarah Kuhn, Accessories Editor, Teen Vogue

Marni Clog Boots

(buy it now price, $400)

Bally Chain Handle Bag

(buy it now price, $199)

New Topshop Lace Tunic

(buy it now price, $47.41)

New Fallon Bracelet

(buy it now price, $119.99)

Kuhn is turning to a white lace vintage dress she scored at Narnia in NY, a long scoop back dress she got “for only $45!” from Topshop, clogs from No. 6, T-shirts from Masterway made by her boyfriend, her own “Fool’s Gold” camera chain (it's part of her new line), jewelry by Fenton and Fallon. She'll finish it all off with silver nail polish by Pritti.

Julia Kalachnikoff, Accessories Director, Lucky

New Isabel Marant Linen Dress

(buy it now price, $350)

New Rebecca Minkoff Blackwash Clutch

(buy it now price, $290)

New Phillip Lim Silk Dress

(buy it now price, $248)

Leopard Ballet Flats

(buy it now price, $99.99))

Kalachnikoff relishes an opportunity to bring her collection of small cross body bags to Paris that she claims "are too tiny for real deal life in New York." She’ll pack her tweed chain handle Chanel, a Jerome Dreyfuss blue leather mini saddle bag and a Rebecca Minkoff pink leather bag, also tiny and zippered. She loves flats and is perfectly happy trading the expense of Lanvin for Sam Edelman or Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee and thigh high boots paired with Phillip Lim and Isabel Marant dresses.

Susan Cernek, Executive Editor, Fashion & Beauty, Glamour.com

Vintage Coach Bag

(buy it now price, $65)

New Marimekko Umbrella

(buy it now price, $39.95)

New J Crew Button Down

(buy it now price, $21.99)

New Marni Trench Coat

(buy it now price, $915)

Susan Cernek borrows her husband’s Swiss Army tri-fold luggage for her annual trek to the shows in Paris. She admits that it may “not be as chic as a Goyard trunk, but those bad boys fit everything.” She packs hers with a Marni trench, velvet Louboutins, H+M jeans and what she describes as a “ton” of J Crew button downs. Of late, she’s been collecting vintage Coach bags saying, “The 90’s old school, simple styles look amazingly fresh and modern this season.” She finishes it all with a big chunky Toy Watch (kept on NY time) and because it always rains in Pairs, a dapper umbrella.

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