Louis Vuitton takes Paris fashion week to end-phase

Louis Vuitton's 2007 spring-summer collection took Paris Fashion Week to its final phase on Sunday after eight days of shows that left some observers wondering if business pressure had stifled the city's name for creativity.

Paris competes with London, Milan and New York in attracting fashion labels, but is known as the place where designers can best let their imagination go, even if it does not translate into company profits.

French luxury goods giant LVMH made waves last year when it sold loss-making French label Christian Lacroix to a privately held U.S. investment company, raising questions about whether Paris could maintain its reputation for creativity.

This season the designers seemed to have sales in mind with a focus on accessories that create healthy profit margins.

At Chanel models were draped with belts, bangles and bags, while Lacroix's show targeted a new younger clientele with skimpy swimsuits and short hemlines. Designer Karl Lagerfeld has even brought out a CD of his favorite music.

Nearly every model sent out by American designer Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton -- the jewel in the crown of LVMH -- was carrying a handbag, the label's best known product.

LVMH president Bernard Arnault, who this week unveiled plans for a futuristic museum in Paris to promote the heritage of his label and celebrate creativity, said designers should be both creative and commercial.

"That's what we're trying to do and when a collection works well, it's because it's creative," he told Reuters.

His company also owns the Celine and Givenchy labels that showed in Paris this week. Net profits rose to 817 million euros in the first six months of the year and sales of leather goods rose 46 percent in July and August.

UNINSPIRED

But several fashion critics found the week's shows provided little inspiration.

"I think we've seen the struggle of big houses ... when they don't have the right designer at the helm," said Hilary Alexander, fashion director at the Daily Telegraph. "You tend to get either a pile of boring merchandise just to sell handbags or ... collections which are totally incomprehensible."

Vanity Fair Fashion Director Michael Roberts said there were "Too many uninspiring clothes ... I think you can be commercial and still come out with something inspired."

"I think this is really a particularly off season for Paris. Hopefully next year it will be on again otherwise we'll have a problem," he added.

Nevertheless, celebrities flocked to the Paris shows. Actors Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher, singers Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, Kanye West, Victoria Beckham and actresses Katie Holmes and Kate Bosworth all graced the front rows.

And there were other signs that Paris's reputation as the capital of fashion was alive and well.

Jefen became the first Chinese label to make an appearance at fashion week and Thai Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana came seeking inspiration for her next fashion collection.

Miu Miu was the final label to show on Sunday with Italian designer Miuccia Prada presenting the line in Paris instead of Milan for the second consecutive season.

"It's a wonderful place, and it's a great resource for people who work in fashion," said Andre Leon Talley, American Vogue editor-at-large. "I think Paris is a great inspirational city for fashion."