PARIS, Mar 6, 2005/ FW/ --- Hervé Leroux has found the magic that once made Guy Laroche a major player in fashion. And with his Fall/Winter 2005-2006 collection, he has used that magic to banish the memories of a house diminished by too many licence deals and the lack of media coverage.

Leroux presented an elegant and unpretentious collection free of the unnecessary embellishments that so many today mistakenly feel are prerequisite to a successful collection. Thanks to his cuts and sumptuous fabrics, his creations assured that the woman’s silhouette is always first and is only complimented with a beautiful dress.

Opening with a double breasted skirt suit with a slightly cropped jacket and skirt both with gold buttons, the French designer quickly set the tone for a no nonsense kind of elegance.

His black form fitting cardigan with plunging V-neck line, which was worn over a glittering skirt, is just enough to be worn alone as a dress. The skirt’s fabric is repeated in a dazzle-filled pair of pants.

The elegance of Leroux’s coats are so splendid that they make dresses irrelevant.

One such creation is done in a light toned plaid. Its belt has black buttons and placed in a way that they are both decorative and appealing.

His pressed wool double-breasted jacket (worn over black pants) is body hugging. The bodice is slimming, yet it owes its contouring to the strategic placements of it buttons.

The little black dress is knee-length. Its back has a square shape removed just below the shoulders. Its straps are wide enough and create the sensation that the dress is holding onto the body as if on to dear life.

Of the most beautiful pieces in this collection, for which this writer has a particular appreciation, is the unpretentious gown done in cranberry. It is wrapped, yet, folded in the back instead of in the front or on the side as one might have expected. It is only accentuated with a beaded and sparkling belt in cranberry.

The procession of long gowns made it clear as to why Guy Laroche’s vision of elegance was the choice of Hilary Swank a few days ago when she accepted her Oscar for best actress (See related article Glamour at the 77th Oscar Awards).

Together Guy Laroche and Hervé Leroux are now the new toast of Paris. They now represent a gamble well made and a house whose full honour and image of a luxury house have been effectively restored thanks to this collection.

Guy Laroche by Hervé Leroux

Guy Laroche by Hervé Leroux

Guy Laroche by Hervé Leroux

Guy Laroche by Hervé Leroux