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FASHION

Dior debuts ‘short suits’ at Paris fashion show

Dior Homme's Kris Van Assche on Saturday created a hall of mirrors mimicking the glinting Miami skyline in a collection the designer said would give men flexibility to dress for both the "boardroom and the beach".

The "shorts suit" with many pieces featuring part-satin patchwork ran through Van Assche's collection for summer 2014.

"It all started in Miami where I felt really ridiculous in a tuxedo on the beach so I really wanted to mix the formal and the informal," the Dior Homme creative director said backstage after the show.

"The idea is that you can change pants and jackets through the whole collection. Some of them are boxes, some of them are fitted, some of them have sleeves, some of them don't… the challenge was to bring a lot of variation," he said.

The collection mixed lightweight leathers and wools with nylons and knits.

Van Assche, who also has his own label, summed up the patchwork as "tuxedos meeting with sportswear".

"In the patchwork I mix both to make it cool and evening. The patchwork is really like the buildings in Miami. It's patchwork but in a very minimal way," he said.

The Belgian designer, who also has his own label, added in a statement that he wanted to avoid the rigid rules and regulations that frequently stifled fashion.

"Above all I wanted to build the human and the fun element back into a collection," he said.

"Menswear felt desperate for a sense of fun, something light. At the same time, if something is light, it doesn't mean it isn't serious in its intent."

Chanel couturier Karl Lagerfeld who attended the show praised the collection as "very elegant", in particular pieces in smoked grey and aubergine.

Five days of menswear collections wrap up on Sunday when they give way to four days of haute couture.

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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