Giorgio Armani pushes the boundaries of couture with his Armani Prive Fall collection
What seems to have begun as a kind of experimental exercise here during Paris couture week has become a kind of staple, and that is Giorgio Armani showing a very special couture collection which he calls "Prive." This collection has been extremely well-received with the Hollywood red-carpet crowd, so you can be sure that Mr. Armani just wants to keep those gorgeous creations coming.

Bad musicians--great designers: How two former encyclopedia salesmen became the "Next Big Thing" in fashion
FT caught up with an unconventional design duo who have decided to take a slightly different approach to showing their collection.  With little music experience they formed a band and took off on a world tour. Though they may not look like your typical fashion designers, Richard Ascott and Philip Colbert are causing quite a stir in the fashion world.  The former encyclopaedia salesmen met in university, and in 2003, with no fashion training whatsoever, launched a clothing line called Rodnik.

In Paris, the Yves St. Laurent collection
Stefano Pilati has been carrying the weight of the Yves St. Laurent empire on his shoulders for the last five seasons, trying to make his own mark on the brand while keeping Mr. Saint Laurent's spirit alive.  Though Pilati's already earned his share of hits and misses along the way, this season's monochromatic collection seemed to unanimously win over the fashion crowd.

Plus, in New York, the Michael Kors collection and in Milan, Gucci flashes back to the 1940s.