Paris Fashion Week | The new establishment

It's been a blisteringly busy Paris fashion week here at the BoF, but we've been taking everything in and can finally share some of our views on all the action -- and the business implications. This season, we were most interested in Balenciaga and Givenchy -- the new Paris establishment -- and the series of brand revivalists - including Stuart Vevers at Loewe, Estaban Cortazar at Ungaro and Alessandra Facchinetti at Valentino. Today, the new establishment. Tomorrow, the brand revivalists.

After what was widely considered a tour-de-force from Nicolas Ghesquiere  last season, the anticipation was building for a Balenciaga for A/W 2008. He did not disappoint, picking up on last season's modern, sculpted silhouette (which, incidentally has also popped up in other collections this season from Marchesa to Bruno Pieters) and producing a more wearable, but still distinctive, collection. Ghesquiere is solidifying his place as the leader of the new Paris establishment.