At the moment, PARIS is the city to be. NIGHTLIFE reminiscent of the 70’s, NEW GALLERIES in the 18th arrondisement, storefront restaurants like SPRING which redefine HAUTE CUISINE and of course LA MODE. apart from KARL LAGERFELD, photographers PETER LINDBERGH and ELLEN VON UNWERTH, there is a new generation of GERMAN FASHION PLAYERS who live here. We visited them at their homes to show how they live and let them talk shop about their arrondisements, work, restaurants and of course, HEIMAT.

Paris designers know about the branding power of their city’s name alone. hence, they show it on their labels, especially in the fragrance industry. we have assembled an iconic line-up of PARISIAN SCENTS.

Moderedaktion KATHARINA BARESEL-BOFINGER
It has been said and written over and over: HAUTE COUTURE is dead in times of FINANCIAL TURMOIL. Fortunately, the French houses doggedly stick to their finest craft in making clothes and continue the Haute Couture season. We have teamed up the BEST OF GERMANY, ared 911 PORSCHE TARGA and model KAROLIN WOLTER with the BEST OF FRANCE, the season’s HAUTE COUTURE highlights for FALL/WINTER 2010.

Moderedaktion KATHARINA BARESEL-BOFINGER
Apart from the big designer labels like BALENCIAGA or BALMAIN, the backbone of every Parisienne’s wardrobe is labels like A.P.C., ERES, VANESSA BRUNO and foremost ISABEL MARANT. The secret is to build basics from those companies around the designer jacket or coat. We have taken some key pieces of marant’s fall/winter collection, including some of the shortest skirts and let model ANASTASIA frolic in front of oliver Helbig’s camera in a HOTEL PARTICULIER on RUE DU BAC.

Moderedaktion KATHARINA BARESEL-BOFINGER und LUTZ HÜLLE
One of the most interesting german designers in Paris is LUTZ HÜLLE. Known as WOLFGANG TILL- MANS’ fetish model in the 90’s, he started his own collection after working for MAiSON MARTIN MARGIELA. Lutz quickly established a reputation for quirky fabrics and intelligent cutting, often with a mature woman in mind. Huelle is about to celebrate his tenth anniversary and Achtung asked him to go into his archives to pull out the best pieces from his beginnings to his current collection.

The Yves saint laurent boutique at Place St.Sulpice in St.germain is about as glamorous as it gets for a designer store. a stone throw from catherine Deneuve’s balcony and right next to the famous fountain. after firmly establishing his reign as the chief designer for the brand, stefano Pilati has now worked his magic on the store’s new interiors which will be rolled out worldwide. our vienna-based chief photographer Jork Weismann used the sexy color mix of gold with opium red as inspiration for his erotic photos of fellow austrian model anna heidegger.

The ultimate strength of the fashion world in Paris is to combine two opposites: radical innovation and stubborn tradition. venerable brands like DIOR or YVES SEINT LAURENT have strict and untouchable codes, for example the DIOR GREY or SAINT LAURENT OPIUM RED. at the same time management in these houses knows that there is only a tomorrow if you give your designer free reign and let him do what he wants to do. Even if it takes years before creative ideas turn into commercial products (see JOHN GALLIANO at DIOR). We have a close look at the current face of men’s wear in three key houses: GIVEN- CHY, YVES SAINT LAURENT and DIOR HOMME where the look of the new collections is blazing new trails and miles away from the gentlemen’s and licensing wardrobe of the old days. also, we are intro- ducing the new german talent DAMIR DOMA whose look is of the moment.

It is one of the best-kept secrets inParis: KLAUS STOCKHAUSEN, German GQ’s fashiondirectoristhe man behind the outrageous and fabulous outfits JOHN GALLIANO dons at the end of his shows. We talk to him about his exclusive collaboration with fashion‘s most creative mind.

Whenever Berlin flashes on the international fashion radar, we have a close look. Iconic actor DENNIS HOPPER comes to Berlin in the fall with italian brand HOGAN. Maura Egan speaks to the actor about his ties to fashion.