Valentino sticks to a ladylike look

1.00pm - By SUSIE RUSHTON in Paris


For Valentino, the ladylike look never goes out of fashion. At the final day of ready-to-wear shows in Paris, the Roman couturier demonstrated why his clothes are adored by some the most impeccably groomed women in the world.

By day, next spring's Valentino clients will be wearing crystal-encrusted wedge sandals, a fluted satin skirt in palest pink satin and a striped twin-set cardigan, also trimmed with crystals.

If rain ever threatens, she can try out her nylon blouson jacket, printed with Valentino's logo.

At night, she's transformed into a Hollywood icon in his perfectly poised evening gowns, which fall to the floor in pretty pale green tiers or flowed around the body in coffee-coloured liquid satin.

It goes without saying that his extremely feminine designs are not aimed at ingenues. Instead Valentino, who presented his first collection in 1962, has nurtured a close relationship with socialites, royalty and established film actresses, whom he famously invites aboard his yacht for holidays away from the paparazzi.

Last week in Paris the deeply-tanned couturier threw a birthday party for Gwyneth Paltrow, although she did not stay on to attend yesterday's fashion show.

The main event of Paris fashion week was last night's Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche show, where the designer Stefano Pilati made his debut.

Pilati had previously been Tom Ford's lieutenant at YSL. When Ford quit his design jobs at both Gucci and YSL earlier this year, marquee names such as Alexander McQueen were reportedly in the running for one of the most prestigious positions in French fashion.

In the end, an unknown Italian designer with a solid track record in behind-the-scenes roles at Prada and Giorgio Armani took the plum job.

"When I first fell in love with fashion, it was obvious that Mr. Saint Laurent was the master. I will always try to maintain a deep respect for this heritage in my work at Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche," said Pilati.

Yves Saint Laurent is widely considered to be the father of modern fashion and he was one of the first Parisian couturiers to introduce more affordable and youthful ready-to-wear collections, introducing his Rive Gauche shops in 1966.

For Pilati, 38, there is now everything to play for. While Ford achieved transformation of Gucci, at YSL he did not receive a similar level of critical success. Saint Laurent himself, who retired from fashion with a final haute couture show in 2002, was never a fan of Ford's work.

In terms of branding and business, YSL is something of a work-in-progress. YSL's managers have assumed closer control of the products, by cutting down on the numerous licences that were in place when Gucci Group took over in 2000. However YSL is not yet profitable.

Perhaps most delicate aspect of the whole endeavour - and one that could be the key to success - is the manner in which the revered French designer's back catalogue of designs are re-interpreted for contemporary tastes.

- INDEPENDENT