Kate Moss graces Paris fashion show - in spirit

PARIS - Kate Moss is haunting the Paris catwalks again.

British designer Alexander McQueen had an image of the supermodel emerge out of smoke in a holographic installation at his ready-to-wear show on Friday, paying tribute to Moss, who lost advertising contracts after a cocaine scandal last year.

Moss's dream-like appearance crowned a spectacular show, in which McQueen played to his Scottish roots, sending out models in tight tartan suits, or a checkered dress with knitted sleeves, held together by a large brown belt.

Wearing large bird feathers or horns attached to their hair, models presented elaborately embroidered outfits, sleek fur-trimmed tweed jackets or long black velvet dresses.

As girls wearing floor-length dresses with large ruffles left the catwalk, the hall went black, and the image of Kate Moss slowly emerged inside a giant glass pyramid.

Seeming to emerge out of smoke, the supermodel danced and turned, trailing large trains of floating fabric behind her before becoming smaller and smaller and disappearing entirely.

McQueen, who last autumn wore a T-shirt reading "We love you Kate" at his show, won standing ovations from many guests.

Moss, 32, who made a real appearance at a fashion show of Britain's Burberry in Italy last month, was at the center of a scandal last year after being filmed apparently snorting cocaine. The story prompted Burberry and Swedish-based Hennes and Mauritz to cut ties with the model.

McQueen has entirely different concerns. Gucci Group has given its smaller brands like McQueen and British designer Stella McCartney until next year to become profitable.

McCartney this week sent out models wearing wide cashmere tops, A-line coats or tight denim trousers as front row guests such as singer Courtney Love looked on.

"I thought the colors were really cool. It was very rock. I liked it," Love told reporters after the show on Thursday.

Linda Fargo, senior vice president for the fashion office at luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman, said the outfits of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney's daughter seemed convincing.

"We are retailers and when we view a collection, we want it to have direction. It is driving excitement. Change is what keeps people coming back. But it also has to be things that people can wear. I think that was there with it," Fargo said.

McCartney said the collection had pieces for each age group.

"I hope that each season, we get tighter and tighter and we get a little more refined and the fabrics get richer. And I hope it gets better and better," said McCartney, who used to design for fashion house Chloe before starting her own label.

This season, Chloe was left without a head designer after Briton Phoebe Philo quit the label earlier this year.

An in-house design team on Saturday presented a Chloe collection very much in Philo's spirit, sending out models wearing A-line coats or floating white babydoll dresses.

Using warm shades of brown, beige and gray, the team presented outfits including tight knitted tops worn to wide skirts and floating half-transparent dresses.

- REUTERS