Three to watch from Paris Fashion Week

STYLE SMALL PRINT:THERE HAVE, thus far, been few surprises at Paris Fashion Week, where labels such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Dior, Stella McCartney and Chanel get their seasonal 15 minutes of fame – but we've compiled a list of the three you should know, just in case you get into a Paris Fashion Week-themed discussion at a dinner party this week.

Isabel MarantHers has been a steady rise to almost meteoric proportions, all the more surprising because few people for whom fashion isn't an interest know her name. Her trainer boots all but sold out – no mean feat at upwards of €400 a pop – and her leather-fringed wedge boots cause a sartorial stampede everywhere they go. Her collection for next season is all 1990s brights and slouchy knits; the reason she's beloved of cool girls everywhere is that her items need no hard work.

CélineOnce again, creative director Phoebe Philo produced a collection that had fashion luvvies swooning – all staunch minimalism and playful proportions. Look for Céline-inspired neutrals in a Zara near you next spring/summer and, whatever you do, don't expect much in the way of colour.

Kanye WestNo, that was not a typo – the US rapper unveiled a collection at Paris Fashion Week. (Whatever next? Jessica Simpson designing a bestselling line of clothes and accessories? Oh, wait.) Unsurprisingly, the R&B megastar's foray into fashion wasn't met with much cooing from the fash pack.

The Telegraph's Lisa Armstrong described it as "rap with a capital C" while Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribuneremarked: "A celebrity tag and a lively audience filled with music-business friends does not cut it in Paris."

A readers writes

Dear Rosemary

Over the past year, I have gone from a size 14-16 to a size 10. I’m really proud of myself but I haven’t quite adapted to my new figure – I was used to wearing loose-fitting clothes and, now that I’m thinner, I’d love to start being trendier. You’d think this might fill me with delight but it fills me with dread!

– JA, Limerick

Dear JA,

Firstly, congratulations – losing weight is no mean feat, unless you’re Alexa Chung and routinely “forget” about lunch, so you have much to celebrate. And while I understand your predicament, the happy fact of the matter is that dressing a smaller size is remarkably easier than dressing a larger.

Most high-street stores design their ranges based on a size 8 model, so it stands to reason that, the smaller the size, the better the fit. And fit is your key word from here on in; think tailoring, fitted jeans, trousers and skirts.

Whereas, before, you were trying to hide your shape, your aim now should be to accept it and current trends are really your friends.

Think about 1940s tea dresses – Warehouse has a great selection – and midi skirts, which can make larger sizes look dumpy. Look to blouses as a great way of making your casual wardrobe – skinny jeans, for example – work for the office. 1970s shapes will also work really well on your new figure; try a pair of flared jeans or a sleeveless wraparound cardigan (Diane von Furstenberg has a beautiful wool option or, on a budget, check out AWear).

Most importantly, don’t feel that your “new body” (or, your old body, just less of it) means you must dress a certain way.

If you hate body-con, avoid body-con; if you like loose-fitting clothes, you like loose-fitting clothes. And if so, you’d be wise to; Swedish labels are very much in vogue and Cos has just opened up an online store (cosstores.com). Acne, another Scandinavian brand, does a great line in chic separates that pay very little attention to the body and focus all of the attention on the clothes, which can be no bad thing.

I ain't afraid of no coat

Last week’s heatwave threatens to be the last bit of warmth we’ll see this side of 2012 so it’s time to think about investing in a winter coat and warding against the winter that is, say those in the know, rushing to meet us at the door.

Zara's S&M meets militaryForget all about the weather and invest in this relatively lightweight jacket. It won't keep you warm – when are the fashion gods ever practical? – but it will make you look so, so cool, and if you were ever to meet the Sartorialist, he would definitely take your picture. Price: €99.95.

Reiss's boxy brightThere's a reason Reiss is the go-to for hardworking workwear, and this wool and cashmere blend is one of them. The colour is perfect for standing out, while the cut will work with anything – dresses, jeans, ankle-grazing cigarette pants. It's got just enough of the so-hot-right-now Scandinavian vibe to make it trendy while being classic enough to last. Team with a chunky knit and an even chunkier scarf for volume and texture. €340

J by Jasper Conran's ladylike woolThis is the coat Lady Mary would wear, were she ever to venture outside Downton Abbey in the dead of winter. One part British aristocracy, one part Murder She Wrote(and more than a little Mad Men), this coat is the classiest number you'll find this side of a whole month's paycheque. Team yours with a block heel, a pair of opaque tights and a vintage-style satchel. €225 at Debenhams