Talk about a brilliant idea. Invite people to your dad s Bois de Boulogne villa—not just any villa, actually, but the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor—for a quick peek at your latest collection, followed by cocktails. The curiosity factor attracted editors and buyers who have long since sworn off 9:30 shows to designer Jasmine Al Fayed s otherwise modest presentation tonight. And when it came to her father Mohamed s sitting rooms, they weren t disappointed. Those were original portraits of Wallis Simpson on the walls. As for the young designer s clothes, they showed a marked improvement over last season s louche fare.
"Becoming a mother has lightened my mood," said the 25-year-old. In addition to the allover beaded number that Al Fayed herself donned, showing off a post-pregnancy body that other girls would kill for, there was an off-the-shoulder jersey number and a smoking, but with shorts. The focus, however, was day clothes: a baby doll, a shorts-and-puff-sleeve-blouse set, a shirtdress. None was lighter, though, than a shift with a wild mustang print.
