Susan literally stops traffic on her way to Stephane Rolland’s show

Stephane Rolland is not about glitz or Who’s Who –he’s a true couturier with a loyal following and an artistic bent. As he told me himself, after the show, this collection was all about the “generosity of shape.”

Cyrielle Claire

Mireille Mathieu

Jewelry designer Betony Vernon

Susan with singer Melissa Mars

Daywear was limited, but there were some fabulous gowns–slim, and architectural. And while it wasn’t a flamboyant collection, several of the dresses were very beautiful. As Stephane explained, this collection was “sexy, sensual, and full of positive energy and light.”

Many of the gowns featured oversized pieces of gold jewelry: not exactly my taste, but overall I find Stephane’s designs to be beautiful (especially because I know how totally dedicated he is to his work). My favorite piece this season was a long white dress with a deep neckline and a slit up the front. It was held together at the hip by a gold brooch–but I would wear it without.

A studio assistant carefully packs up one of the gowns after the show

I recall attending a dinner, several summers ago, at a lovely château in Biarritz. Stephane was one of the guests at this intime dinner, and it was there that I got to know him well. We talked all night about the Haute Couture and I asked the question which is often posed to me: is the Couture dead? Stephane’s immediate repy was “no,” and of course I agree!

Photographs by Stephane Israël. Runway images via WWD.