Paris Fashion Week: Limi Feu, and Other Princesses

It’s unseasonably hot here, an Indian summer day, and the streets are filled with pictures of Brigitte Bardot, the subject of the retrospective homage “Brigitte Bardot: Les Annèes Insouciance” through January 31 at Espace Landowski, in Boulogne, the cushy suburb adjoining Paris. BB, (pronounced baby) as the French affectionately refer to her, was a no-show at last night’s opening, but she can be forgiven—at 75, who needs memories? Another princess from the past, Lady Diana, is on France’s mind as well. She’s the subject of a new book by former French President Valerie Giscard d’Estaing. La Princesse et Le President, which details an affair a former French President  like him might have had with an English princess just like her which has the French asking: “Que c’est-il réellement passé?” (LEFT: PHOTO OF YOHJI YAMAMOTO, BY REBECCA VOIGHT)

A princess of the more casual sort, Limi Feu laid out the pink carpet for her Spring 2010 show today in Les Halles, one of the first on the Paris calendar. Limi’s dad Yohji Yamamoto was front row with Irene Silvagni, his longtime Svengalli-like collaborator. Limi has always been a bit more kawai (than her dad) in the design department, but this collection was all grown up, elegant, streamlined and minimal which just proves she is a chip off the old block after all. Huge, droopy men’s vests in black worn with matching ties and oversized white shirts with baggy gentlemen’s trousers  looked  charmingly androgynous. And she went on to turn doublebreasted suit jackets into soft  capes and dresses. Several men came out on the runway which had the audience wondering if Limi has launched a men’s collection. “Ah non,” exclaimed one of her French  staff.  “It’s just that in Japan  men often borrow Limi Feu from their girlfriends closets so she wanted to play with that.”