PARIS Everyone loves a high-profile rivalry, but perhaps the fashion world more than most.</p><p>This might explain why fashion writers have so eagerly pitted the two new influential faces of Paris' ready-to-wear calendar against each other.</p><p>In the Christian Dior ring, Raf Simons - the house designer appointed in April whose Friday collection wowed journalists - and in Yves Saint Laurent's, Hedi Slimane, the 44-year-old appointed in March, who himself used to work at Dior menswear.</p><p>Amid incredible pressure to deliver, Paris-born Slimane unveiled his new vision for the rival house Monday, with YSL themselves adding to the buzz through their strict guestlist and restricted invitations.</p><p>Meanwhile, the front row presence was proof enough of the brand's enduring allure: From French First Lady Valerie Trierweiler, actress Jessica Chastain and a roll call of his designing peers Vivienne Westwood, Alber Elbaz and Marc Jacobs.</p><p>So who won?</p><p>YVES SAINT LAURENT</p><p>When fashion editors put down their pens halfway through a catwalk show, it's always cause for worry.</p><p>This was the case at Hedi Slimane's disappointing debut at Yves Saint Laurent - a rather confused ode to excess that used fringing, leather, lacing, tassels, feathers, sequins, skinny menswear tailoring, baggy pants, cinching cummerbunds, capes, tribal pendants and almost everything else under the sun.</p><p>Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent's former partner said: "(Slimane) knows the Saint Laurent DNA, the spirit."</p><p>There was definitely a nod to that. For example, black silk neckbows, a house signature that was used as a leitmotif. But the collection lacked the empowering sex appeal that made Saint Laurent one of the most famous names in fashion.</p><p>The bows, rather symbolically, instead of unifying the collection, fought with other busy materials for attention.</p><p>Unflattering floppy Stetson hats capped it off.</p><p>Slimane took a gamble on the no-holds-barred approach to impress, but somehow fell short of the mark in his basic silhouette.</p><p>Many individual garments - like one sumptuous look with side a spread of black feathers - were highly creative.</p><p>But here the plumes' dynamic horizontal energy was drowned out by the bow.</p><p>Slimane pulled it off well when he wasn't trying too hard: A classy skinny menswear pant looked great with a sharp shouldered tuxedo - and a spot on merging of YSL and Slimane's own personal style.</p><p>Had he kept it cleaner, Slimane might not have given the upper hand so easily to his Dior rival.</p><p>CHLOE</p><p>The Chloe fashion house is celebrating its 60th birthday during Paris Fashion Week but its spring-summer 2013 show proved it's still as fresh as a daisy.</p><p>Designer Clare Waight Keller's collection takes its cue from founder Gaby Aghion's mantra: "I lived the life I wanted."</p><p>Chloe, founded in 1952, practically invented ready-to-wear in the first place and has always confidently led the way. That rebelliousness came out Monday in the clothes - strongly feminine and diaphanous but also structured with laser-cut edges in many large frills and ripples.</p><p>"I wanted a feminine spirit, but sharp...like a knife," Waight Keller said after the show.</p><p>This contrasted with the collection's soft side. Transparent organza silks played on volume, giving a layered three-dimensionality to soft, oversized T-shirts and knee-length skirts. The light touches came from hibiscus flower appliques on sheer white tops, or in one instance, in green down a singular pant leg.</p><p>Features like this can look overly busy if handled poorly. But here the looks were paired with a clean-cut minimalist vest, jacket or Bermuda to tasteful effect.</p><p>STELLA MCCARTNEY</p><p>"Palatable, everyday." That's how Stella McCartney, backstage, describes her fresh, optimistic and relaxed spring-summer outing.</p><p>If she hoped the collection to be everyday, the show itself - in the gilded foyer of the Paris Opera Garnier with ornate, swinging double chandeliers in gold , not to mention the famous faces like Kate Moss, Salma Hayek and McCartney's former Beatle father Paul - was not.</p><p>It's hard to be casual when you were born with one of the most famous dads on the planet - but she got full marks for trying.</p><p>Silhouettes ignored the waist, with a cool, low-slung belted vibe, and the big curves of last season were gone.</p><p>Thinking outside the box, McCartney created some fantastic elliptical curves in vibrant saffron yellow and forest green, sculpting a feminine shape like a geometric hourglass.</p><p>Black and white camouflage print looked fantastic on a silky jumpsuit, worn by sassy model of the moment Karlie Kloss.</p><p>This look wasn't exactly everyday, but it's sure going to sell.</p><p>HAKAAN</p><p>There's going to be a one-hour hole in the normally tight Paris Fashion Week calendar, after representatives of label Hakaan said its entire collection had been lost.</p><p>Turkish designer Hakaan Yildirim was set to present his spring-summer 2013 to the media on Tuesday afternoon.</p><p>But PR company Karlaotto sent out emails Monday to all those with invitations saying the preview was canceled - after all the clothes had mysteriously disappeared. "The whole collection is lost," said Karen Nitsche of Karlaotto. "It was when they were being transported. We don't know how."</p><p>Last November, Marc Jacobs canceled a London press preview after his collection was stolen during its transfer from Paris.
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