PARIS–A year ago, Haider Ackermann presented a collection that cautiously experimented with colors: deep purples and green silks punctuated his usually somber palette. “She is ready to come out of the shadow,” the designer had told us in regards to the Haider woman.

Today, she is definitely out in the limelight–and the collection was possibly his boldest one to day, marking a real turn in his career: the trademark deconstructed darkness blended with bright (relatively speaking) hues, and mismatching patterns.

PARIS–In the car on the way past the Luxembourg gardens towards the Pantheon near where Kanye West held his debut womenswear collection on the fourth floor of the Lycée Henri IV, I thought about all those times that I had gone to the Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons show where clearly entertainment and not fashion was the main attraction. It was the era when bling triumphed over substance. Somehow I was hoping that this would not be the case for Kanye West. In fact, I was ardently hoping this would not be the case. Yet, I know that fashion is a roll of dice and in many cases one does not get double sixes, once or ever.

I remembered back in May 2007 when we shot Mr. West for Flaunt’s September 2007 fashion issue, he told me of his interest in someday doing a fashion line. Over the years, at the shows in Paris and New York, he has been a constant presence, sometimes an unwelcome one. But attending these shows was like being enrolled in fashion school. Seeing how other designers present their collections is like learning on the job. At the very least, one cannot fault his commitment and his enthusiasm for fashion which lead to last night’s show.

To the average person (and even for some designers) fashion is just about the clothes–making pretty things for people to wear. But there’s much more to fashion for Vivienne Westwood. The godmother of punk knows a thing or two about the power of fashion to affect change, and lately her clothes have been all about saving the planet. Her red label show in London a few weeks ago supported an organization called Cool Earth, which is dedicated to saving the rainforest. At that show, Cheryl was looking for some eco-punk from Dame Westwood, but instead found a subdued collection that you could even wear to work. Well, Cheryl, I’m happy to report the eco-punk was here in Paris at the ballroom of Le Grand Hôtel Intercontinental. I wouldn’t recommend wearing this stuff to your corporate day job unless you’re looking to stick it to the man. If you are, you should definitely wear Westwood.