PARIS, Mar 27, 2006/ FW/ --- It is often said that the Los Angeles fashion scene is celebrity driven but with Hollywood being such a big influence on the whole of L.A culture this is perhaps little surprise. Paris is however, as they say, a completely different kettle of poisson.

Here in a city that prides itself on its artistic heritage, gimmicks and high profile fans don’t count for much when it comes to gaining respect. Of course, they count for just as much in generating sales but, and here comes the culture shock, in Paris the underlying ethos is to be more, not sell more.

Any designer therefore who trades in the certainties of what they know for the fashion capital with the most to live up to deserves credit: with the weight of history being palpable around these parts, if you can make it here, you’ll make it anywhere.

Milan on the other hand does not suffer from the same pretensions and so it is illustrative of the point that Armani, the city’s most successful designer, started out in the same way as Sheri Bodell.

Having been formed as buyers, the two designers are less prone to flights of fancy in their work; the objective being to create wearable pieces for real people and with her first Paris collection, this is what Bodell succeeded in doing.

According to the designer herself the collection, Paris inspired the collection but, with materials such as suede, natural colors and ethnic style studding, the effect was more Native American Indian than Left Bank sophistiquée.

Added to this were the glamorous urban elements of modern L.A with skimpy knitted tunic dresses, plunging décolleté necklines and above the knee platform boots.

In a show which was perhaps a little too one speed it was Bodell’s signature dresses that excelled with draped halter-neck numbers ornamented with flowing, beaded strands catching the eye.

Further evidence of the designer’s seductive style was provided with barely there robes of velvet and sheer chiffon panels which certainly bore witness to a climate of mild winters!

The daywear was less well executed and showed a tendency to over elaborate with jewellery or floral motifs but all things considered the show wasn’t too bad for a first attempt before the world’s most critical public.

Sheri Bodell

Sheri Bodell

Sheri Bodell

Sheri Bodell