Fashion and Film Merge as Paris Shows its Opulent Side

Chanel's show took place alongside the River Seine. Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP
Chanel's show took place alongside the River Seine. Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP
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Fashion and Film Merge as Paris Shows its Opulent Side

Chanel's show took place alongside the River Seine. Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP
Chanel's show took place alongside the River Seine. Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP

From an absurdly opulent film shoot at the Opera Garnier to a Chanel catwalk along the Seine, fashion week offered a very different view of Paris on Tuesday from the riots of recent days.

The country is still licking its wounds and facing up to the deep societal divisions exposed by days of violence sparked a week ago by the police killing of a teenager, said AFP.

The riots have died down since the weekend, and it was the other France -- of unbridled luxury, craftsmanship and conspicuous excess -- that took center-stage on the second day of haute couture week.

Chanel's models paraded alongside the River Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the background, some with little dogs or baskets of flowers, in a show of "sophistication and simplicity," said designer Virginie Viard.

She mixed tweeds, silk muslins, organzas and encrusted lace with floral and graphic motifs. A few bright colors, including Barbie pink, stood out against a largely grey palette.
Over at the Opera Garnier, the 19th-century monument to late-imperial excess, couturier Stephane Rolland put on a fabulously opulent show that was also being filmed by veteran filmmaker Claude Lelouch for his next movie, "Finalement".
There was a strapless velvet dress with a glittering diamond hood, an elaborate headpiece that looked like a mass of gold flames, and a long red satin dress with a bejewelled collar.

The show was an homage to Greek singer Maria Callas, whose voice was heard through the show, aimed at reliving one of her most legendary performances at the Opera Garnier in December 1958.

Rolland is known for bright colors, such as the bright-yellow dress in which he put singer Pretty Yende for the coronation of King Charles III recently.

But he said "in the heart of the Palais Garnier, I didn't want to disturb the scenery with pinks, yellows and greens" and stuck mostly to black, white and a few flashes of deep red.
Actors mingled with the guests for the upcoming movie from Lelouch, best-known for his Oscar-winning 1966 film "A Man and a Woman".

The director's request to film during the show was "like a gift from heaven," Rolland told AFP, adding that it was vital to merge fashion and other art forms.

"It's very important in our profession. I find that from time to time it lacks a bit of refinement. Money is not everything," he said.
Also showing on Tuesday was French designer Alexis Mabille, who created a female take on the tuxedo.

And there was another luxurious display from Giorgio Armani, all sumptuous ballgowns adorned with many variations on poppies and roses.

Red was a dominant color for the Italian -- even for the wedding dress at the end.



Struggling Puma Names Former Adidas Sales Chief as CEO

FILED - 04 November 2022, ---: Arne Freundt poses for a picture. Photo: Christoph Maderer/PUMA/dpa
FILED - 04 November 2022, ---: Arne Freundt poses for a picture. Photo: Christoph Maderer/PUMA/dpa
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Struggling Puma Names Former Adidas Sales Chief as CEO

FILED - 04 November 2022, ---: Arne Freundt poses for a picture. Photo: Christoph Maderer/PUMA/dpa
FILED - 04 November 2022, ---: Arne Freundt poses for a picture. Photo: Christoph Maderer/PUMA/dpa

Sportswear brand Puma said on Thursday former Adidas sales chief Arthur Hoeld would take over as CEO, replacing Arne Freundt due to what the company called "differing views on strategy execution".
Puma has struggled to boost sales and profitability for more than a year. Its pick for the top job marks the latest talent swap between the competing brands, two years after its CEO Bjorn Gulden jumped ship to lead Adidas through a successful turnaround, Reuters reported.
Based across the road from each other in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the companies have a rivalry going back 75 years to a feud between shoemaker brothers Adolf Dassler, founder of Adidas, and Rudolf Dassler, who started Puma.
Puma said Freundt, CEO since November 2022, would step down on April 11 and Hoeld would take over as chairman and CEO effective July 1, with the board leading the company in the transition phase.
"I am incredibly excited to join the PUMA family as their new CEO," Hoeld, who left Adidas in October last year, said in a statement.
Adidas has enjoyed strong sales growth as it surfed a trend for its Samba and Gazelle sneakers, while Puma sales have been sluggish as it struggles to boost interest in new sneakers like the Speedcat.
Puma last month warned its 2025 sales would likely be weaker than last year, and said uncertainty was denting consumer spending in the US, which accounts for between 20-25% of its global sales.
"We expect this news to be taken positively, given ongoing investor concerns around performance and strategic execution," said Citi analyst Monique Pollard.
US tariffs on China, Vietnam, Indonesia and other key manufacturing hubs hit sportswear retailers, sending Puma shares down 10% on Thursday.
Puma sourced 28% of its products in China last year, while Vietnam was its second-biggest sourcing country with 26%, and Cambodia was third with 16%.
The share price, pummeled by slowing sales, is close to its lowest in nine years.
"We are convinced that thanks to his strategic vision and focus on product and brand, Arthur will lead Puma into a new chapter of strength and growth," said Heloise Temple-Boyer, chair of the supervisory board at Puma.