You might think from my recent posts on the Yves Saint Laurent Manifesto marketing campaign that I don't like the brand. But I do, and last night's show reminded me of why. C.E.O. Valerie Hermann (said to be an old school friend of PPR Chairman Francois-Henri Pinault) has done a admirable job of stemming the house's loses and turning around its fortunes. She did it by introducing some no-brainers, like a fab handbag collection, but also by launching the capsule travel collection at lower prices than the runway collection and a rather nice, if small, collection of costume jewelery. Meanwhile, designer Stefano Pilati has managed to advance the collection into one that a woman of any age can wear. The tailored jackets and dresses with delicate folds are much more wearable than some of his earliest attempts. And while a YSL logo vest may not be for everyone, it looked great on the runway. Chanel's show this morning was an homage to America. Or perhaps a desperate plea of "Don't stop shopping, yet!" ...