First stop, the Léonard show, with Maxime Simoens at the creative helm (for what turned out to be his first and last collection for the house). Then, Paris Fashion Weeks continues into the weekend, with a défilé mounted Sunday morning by Andrew Gn. The lineup includes some truly beautiful pieces, especially a few of those gorgeous evening gowns. Bravo, Andrew!

Manish Arora designs under his own name, for his own label, but he’s also the creative director for the house of Paco Rabanne. Of course, it’s always challenging for a new designer to take the helm at such a well-known brand, especially one so deeply-rooted in its own sense of history (and of heritage).

The Prêt-à-Porter is a busy time, especially for designers, so I felt lucky to schedule a studio visit with Bill Gaytten, creative director at John Galliano, for a preview of Fall 2012. His atelier is amazing–a soaring space, housed in a former doll factory in the 20th arrondissement. And I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see his collection a day before it came down the runway. I wish I could do this all the time–it’s the perfect way to get double exposure.

I often think about interviewing Catherine Baba, a true personage on the Paris fashion scene and someone I’ve long admired for her extraordinary personal style. (She tends to favor turbans, combined with unusual vintage clothes and accessories, so she really stands out!) Through years of attending fashion events in Paris, I’ve gotten to know Catherine, and I now realize it’s not just her ensembles that are so unique–it’s her entire persona. She has a way of speaking (often in the third person) that’s very distinctive: she greets me with Devotion instead of Hello; she often exclaims J’adore; and when she says dahhling, it’s not prentious, it’s just Catherine! During the most recent Prêt-à-Porter, I bumped into her at the Zandra Rhodes show, and she promptly invited me to a launch party celebrating her collaboration with the legendary Parisian costume jewelry house, Gripoix. It was to be held at Lapérouse–the hotspot of the moment–and of course I made plans to attend.