Prêt-à-Porter: Ready to Wear (Pret-a-Porter)

Miramax Films Presents

A Robert Altman Film

Moscow?

What's this about?

Put that on the desk.

Dear Mr de la Fontaine: Blah, blah, blah, blah...

Blah, blah, blah, blah...

Robin.

Robin.

I told you not to!

It's dirty!

You shouldn't do that!

Not in the house!

You're a shit.

This is Kitty Potter on the scene for FAD TV.

At the moment, Paris fashion is a thrilling bore.

But as of tomorrow, all of that could change.

Tomorrow is the first day of the prét-à-porter collections.

It's a strange and exhilarating moment for fashion.

The only rule is...

Is that there are no rules.

Come on with Kitty.

We'll be going backstage and sipping Diet Coke with all of the top models.

And we'll meet designers from supernovas to super nobodies.

Now, let's go behind the scenes

and into the busy workrooms of some of fashion's biggest thinkers.

Shall we?

Can we roll?

This is Kitty Potter in Paris, and I'm here with Thierry Mugler,

the cutting-edge couturier known for his sartorial shock tactics.

Thierry, Thierry, you know,

it's been said that your clothes have a kind of

overt, extreme sexual subtext,

which is squarely at odds

with the image of women as capable and independent of men.

So, I was just wondering, our audience would love to know, really,

what you think about that?

Well, it's all about looking good.

Helping the silhouette.

And it's all about getting a great fuck, honey.

Well, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Well, that was designer Thierry Mugler explaining his unique views on style.

This is Kitty Potter in Paris, and we're backstage with FAD.

How beautiful you are.

I'm Inspector Tantpis.

I'd like to introduce my dog, Ladd.

Oh, yes. I remember your dog.

Heel, Ladd!

I'm going to pouf your hair.

You'll walk faster, huh?

Okay, now you finish.

- And I'd like to see Kiki and Dane. - Okay, thank you. That's it.

- Okay? - Okay.

- But quickly, because we are very late. - Okay, Kiki. Come on.

Kiki, can you stop smoking, please?

- Oh, who's there? - Simone.

It's wonderful!

- Yeah, well, great things happen to me. - Twins, no?

Egg and sperm, and they loved each other.

No, triplets.

Albertine, you've kept a secret from us.

- Who's the unlucky man? - Well, maybe it's you, darling.

Come on, Dane.

Dane, come on.

I'm sorry, Simone, I won't be able to do your défilé this year.

Oh, don't worry. It's no problem.

- You'll get me Eve, huh? - Eve?

Albertine. Oh, what have we here?

Big fish in the trunk.

How extraordinary.

And when did this happen?

About eight and a half months ago. Exactly.

What's with this divine tie?

Are you colour-blind or did your wife give it to you?

I'm writing a piece on the fashion industry.

No, no. It's an old one.

No, no, please. I'm in a hurry.

I am not any more of any interest for The New York Times

because I just stopped working.

On the contrary, I'd love to talk to you even more.

The piece I'm writing...

Where are you going?

To the airport.

There's a fashion show at the airport?

No, I have to meet someone.

Will I see you for dinner?

I'll be here working.

I don't know how long I'll be.

Thank you.

How about right here? This is good. It's good.

I think this is... Yeah, but it's mine I'm looking for.

This big one coming up is mine.

All right, that's one. Now, I've got... I don't think that's mine.

Do you know what my luggage looks like?

Yeah.

- Are you sure it was green? - Yes, I'm sure it's green, darling.

It's green, it's brown, it's big.

- Where are you from? - From Texas.

I love that accent. I love it. So courtly.

- And you're from Vogue magazine? - Would you say, "Thank you, ma'am"?

- Would you just say that for me once? - This guy's cracking me up.

Well, maybe later.

He knows the Polaroids are not supposed to travel in the box, okay?

I could be in the hotel by now.

- Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. - It's okay, it's okay.

Are you all right?

I lost my suitcase.

Well, you just report it over there to lost luggage.

- No. - The baggage...

Well, it's not that. I left it in the airport bar in Houston.

That's where I came in from.

I'm scared to fly,

so I went in there to get my courage, if you know what I mean.

Would you read the tags, darling? Thank you so much.

Hey!

Viviene. Let's just pick up our own...

You know, they'll find it. That's what they're very good at,

and all you have to do is just tell them, you know.

It's nice of you to say that, you know. It's nice of you to care.

Because, you see, I don't speak French.

That's the thing, I don't speak French.

Well, high school, but, you know, that doesn't really count.

And, you know, I don't even know the French word for "baggage."

It's bagage. Just like it's baggage. Bagage.

You got the cards ready?

Are you ready?

We need a longer cord on this thing. This is irritating me.

Olivier de la Fontaine. Try to find out why he's here.

- Hello, Olivier! - Hi, Kitty.

What a pretty tie. And it's got kitties on it.

- And I'm Kitty! - Funny.

Let me guess.

A Charvet?

Or Dior?

- No, Dior, nature/lament. - Bingo!

This is Kitty Potter at Charles de Gaulle Airport

where what I like to call the international intelligentsia

of fashion in all its many mutations is arriving all around me.

Are we expecting someone special here today?

Special?

Special.

Le tout Paris has been buzzing about a lollapalooza

called Liza, and her definite, maybe, appearance on the runway at Chanel.

And I know that she is due any minute.

Any possibility that you might be here for her?

Well, I'm here to welcome the press and the retailers.

I'm here to welcome you, Kitty. Welcome.

I think it's going to be a great season.

Well, we all know how Liza just loves the spotlight,

so I was just wondering if maybe you could give us a little...

Just shed some light on that subject for us.

Olivier?

Olivier, sir?

Our new facilities, I think, are sublime.

It's a giant step forward for the Paris fashion.

The designers are thrilled.

- Well, I bet they are. - Will you excuse me?

Well, there he goes.

With the absolute poise of an architect's desk lamp.

Are you here for the prét-à-porter?

I'm with The Houston Chronicle. I'm the assistant fashion editor.

My boss was supposed to come, but she got sick, a stroke, actually.

I didn't have time for breakfast.

I had to change my shirt to wear this ridiculous tie.

And here we have the Paris troika,

the three powers that be in the world of magazine editing.

The unflinchingly fabulous Sissy Wanamaker of Harper's Bazaar.

- Hi, Sissy. - Hello, Kitty. Hello.

The unstoppably sophisticated Nina Scant from British Vogue.

Good Lord, I've never heard myself described like that before.

Hello, hello.

And the relentlessly artistic Regina Krumm from Elle.

- Hey. - Hey.

Welcome to Paris, girls.

- What kind is it? - Ham.

There's no ham in Moscow.

I have the best art director in a decade, maybe ever.

The best photographers,

the top, top models, the best writers, the best editors...

But I think I hear Elle's bells right behind you.

Operative word being "behind."

I'm not really interested in jockeying for position.

I just think we're going through an incredibly exciting, vital time at Elle.

A lot of articles about sex nowadays, in Elle.

I think they're interesting.

They're very diverting, both magazines,

but I still think Vogue is the final word, Kitty.

I think you'll have to agree with me there.

- I have to go! - Oh, don't go. Oh, don't go.

Follow me to my car, please.

I suppose you don't remember me. Major Hamilton.

Marshall Field's, Chicago. Fashion director.

- Oh, yes. Yes. - It's good seeing you.

I have a little bit of time. Would you like a quick interview?

We really don't do unscheduled interviews.

- Mr O'Brannigan, would you mind... - I don't mind.

- Are you sure? - ...answering a few questions?

Milo. Milo. One minute. One minute.

- Hi. How are you? - I'll be here if you need me.

- Kitty Potter. Kitty Potter. - How you doing?