Guest models Mirren, Longoria energize L'Oréal fashion show

PARIS (AP) — Armed with a battalion of celebrity ambassadors, L'Oréal took over the historic Paris Mint building to stage a Paris Fashion Week extravaganza. Offerings from Elie Saab, who went 1970s, and Vivienne Westwood, who stylishly towed a line between ethnic and punk, made for a frenetic pace of shows on Saturday.

Here are some highlights of the day's Spring-Summer 2020 ready-to-wear displays:

L'OREAL GOES TO THE MINT

L'Oréal's celebrated female empowerment at its third fashion show, which featured actresses Helen Mirren and Eva Longoria giving turns as models and was broadcast to over 40 countries.

The French cosmetic giant's display still was less ambitious than last year's edition, which took place on the Seine River, or the one staged in the center of the Champs-Elysees that literally stopped traffic in 2017.

Nonetheless, Mirren, Longoria and Dutch model and former Victoria's Secret Angel Doutzen Kroes energized spectators at the evening show, joining Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello, American model-actress Amber Heard and other new L'Oréal models to show a collection of carefully crafted looks.

Whatever the styles lacked in unity - they harked from diverse design houses that included AMI, Balmain, Dries Van Noten, Elie Saab and Giambattista Valli - they made up in razzmatazz.

A strong-shouldered tuxedo mixed with a 70s jabot collar shirt on Mirren, styled with her hair slicked back, contrasted with more feminine styles, such as a trapeze-shaped, shoulder-less coral gown or the dazzling pearl-hued ruched number Longoria wore.

The L'Oréal brand's cachet in makeup could not go unnoticed. Kroes and other models were made to look nymph-like, thanks to makeup director Val Garland and hair baron Stephane Lancien.

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ELIE SAAB CHANNELS CIRCLES, 70s

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