The Encore Bride Style File-Paris Fashion Week

Welcome to the recap of my favorite Fashion Week...Paris! As an Encore Bride I have been looking for wedding inspiration outside of the traditional "wedding avenues". I have been following fashion week as a source of inspiration for everything to include attire and decorations.

On to my favorites!

First up is the incredible Karl Lagerfeld, his collection was very structured as you can see from the shapes of the garments. He's a master at what he does and I love his work, especially couture. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Source: Style.com

Elie Saab is a bride and celebrity favorite, his couture collection never disappoints and this year's Ready to Wear collection did not either. His use of neutral colors and draping created a timeless collection. Although his collection included more casual looks he did not disappoint in the evening wear area.

Source: Style.com

Lastly, one of my absolutely favorites designers: Valentino. Granted, he no longer designs his namesake collection but the new designers have done a great job at taking his design aesthetic and making it more modern and youthful. I loved their use of sheer fabrics along with ruffles and beautiful soothing colors. In my opinion, these are all timeless pieces.

Source: Style.com

A few of the major trends that you can see over and over in most of these shows were the use of neutral colors and sheer fabrics. Many designers presented an entire collection of casual wear making the search for the next great evening gown just a little bit narrower. Many collections were presented in just two colors: black and white. At times many collections lacked colors we associate with a Spring collection, making many wonder if designers sacrificed their art for sales by making pieces that were "too safe". In the end, it is no secret that the current economic downturn has forced many to re-consider costly purchases and it was clearly seen on the runway.

I look forward to seeing how the bridal designers will cope with the situation when they present their new bridal collections this month during bridal market week. I will be doing my recaps as soon as I can get my hands on the collections. Stay tuned!