Talking Fashion With Paris Hilton

February 14, 2008

Bruce Pask, T Magazine’s men’s fashion director, sent this report from a fashion trade show in Las Vegas.

I know the big style stories this week is coming out of London, but I’ve had an interesting “fashion” experience this week in Las Vegas. I’m here covering the Project and Magic trade shows — it’s a sportswear convention that takes place twice a year. Clothing brands set up booths and their reps hawk their goods. To my surprise, the Paris Hilton Collection was being represented here by Ms. Hilton herself. I decided to take a closer look.

When I first entered the Paris Hilton Collection booth, after making it past the security detail at the door, Paris was sitting quietly, tapping on her famous BlackBerry. She had five minutes in between appointments with buyers to show me her new collection. This is her second season in the world of young women’s sportswear.

I asked her what her favorite pieces were and she jumped out of her chair and over to the rig wall to show me some of the highlights. (There was no assistant to perform this task.) Because her celebrity is the selling point, it made sense to see a lot of T-shirts with images of Paris. The clothes had had a very Astor Place vibe to them. She pulled out a fairly cute striped shirt with a matching tie and a trim military-style jacket with lots of detailing. Paris looked right at home presenting the collection herself to a table full of buyers, running through styles like a seasoned garmento. Best of all, she was wearing the line, sporting a bright blue tank with a matching jacket (cropped with a short flared sleeve).

I have to give her credit — she loves the clothing and is committed to promoting it. She’s here at Magic all week working the booth, presenting the collection, talking to buyers. She has also launched a shoe collection. She said she’s used to paying $800 for shoes and is thrilled to be able to own pairs from her own line for around $80 (though I am sure she doesn’t pay for them). She works closely with the designers of the line and even does a bit of design herself. No stranger to a fashion show, she said she’s always inspired when she heads to the Paris women’s shows. She confessed to loving Versace and Dolce & Gabbana, which show in Milan, but let’s not split hairs.