Planet fashion ... All the world's a catwalk

London, New York, Paris and Milan may be the world's fashion capitals, but sometimes designers crave a more exotic backdrop for their creations. Illen Rowe and Pandora Sykes report from far-flung front rows...

SHANGHAI DIOR
The setting One hundred and fifty people attended May's cruise collection for Dior, which was inspired by New Wave cinema. John Galliano chose to coordinate the event with the reopening of Dior's boutique in the Plaza 66 mall and a tent was set up along the banks of the Huangpu river next to the European embassies on The Bund.
The show Before the show Galliano screened a 12-minute film starring his muse Marion Cotillard, set in Shanghai. The collection, however, was pure Paris, fusing urban Left Bank prêt-à-porter with haute couture. Continental staples such as the trench coat, Breton stripes and Capri pants were given a delicate atelier touch, while pastel tulle and mousseline provided a swish of romance (right).
The people Model of the moment Karlie Kloss opened the show and Dior ambassadors Charlize Theron and Marion Cotillard were in the front row.
The hotel Nothing captures Shanghai's cocktail of past and present like the newly opened Waterhouse at South Bund. The hotel is located in the Cool Docks area of the Huangpu embankment with a breathtaking view of the financial centre. With Chinese architectural duo Neri & Hu giving the 1930s structure a modern overhaul, the result is clean and contemporary. Vintage motorcycles can be hired for sightseeing and Jason Atherton, formerly of Maze restaurant, is on board as the consultant chef (waterhouseshanghai.com).

ST TROPEZ CHANEL
The setting Karl Lagerfeld's liking for a chic beach' is well known and, true to form, his Chanel 2010/11 Cruise Collection, shown on 11 May, reflected its French Riviera setting. Past locations for the once-a-year show have included Monte Carlo, Venice and Miami.
The show Arriving by motorboat, models sashayed down a cobbled café terrace catwalk, evoking the spirit of the 1970s in watercolour florals, with fringes and flares, accessorised with minimal make-up and sandals. The collection's gingham bikinis (right) recalled the sexy insouciance of St Tropez pin-up Brigitte Bardot, as did the arrival by motorbike of her modern-day equivalent Georgia May Jagger, to the sound of the Rolling Stones' Let's Spend the Night Together'.
The people Chanel ambassadors Diane Kruger, Vanessa Paradis and Anna Mouglalis joined DJ Leigh Lezark as well as the stars
of Lagerfeld's short film Remember Now, the French actor Pascal Greggory and model Elisa Sednaoui.
The hotel The Côte d'Azur's latest offering is the Muse hotel. Each of
its 15 suites pays homage to a French star, from Edith Piaf to Catherine Deneuve, and it has its own private spa. A fleet of Bentleys wait to shuttle you to the beach and a team of sun butlers' proffer SPF cream, water and cool towels as you relax around the sunken pool (muse-hotels.com).

FLORENCE PITTI IMMAGINE SHOWS
The setting The Pitti Immagine fashion trade show took place in June, on the banks of the Arno river, and included designers Canali and Jil Sander who opened the Pitti Uomo (men's) section of the show. The event takes place twice a year, and attracts over 30,000 international visitors, mostly buyers looking for the latest trends.
The shows Haider Ackermann was the hit of the week. The Colombian-born designer didn't disappoint as he showed his first menswear collection inspired by Oscar Wilde, novelist Jean Genet, poet Arthur Rimbaud and Emperor Haile Selassie. He transformed the courtyard of the baroque Palazzo Corsini with giant chandeliers which appeared to float in the darkness, illuminating faded Renaissance frescoes and a feast of grapes, pomegranates and figs.
The people New York model Jamie Bochert played the piano throughout the show, finishing the event with a rendition of Bob Dylan's Knocking on Heaven's Door'.
The hotel The Continentale sits on the Ponte Vecchio and is part of the Ferragamo family's small chain of hotels. In the foyer, guests are confronted by a giant plasma screen playing classic European films such as Fellini's La Dolce Vita or Truffaut's A Bout de Souffle, on a loop. Retro designs including Nanna and Joergen Ditzel's 1957 wicker Egg are dotted around the hotel's 43 rooms, which are done out in oak and zebrano wood. The relaxation room, a favourite retreat of Mr Ferragamo, offers five chaise longues on which to relax and the Sky Lounge De'Consorti bar has 360-degree views of the Florentine skyline (lungarnohotels.com).

RIO DE JANEIRO FASHION WEEK
The setting Fashion Rio has taken place for the past three years at Cais do Porto, the 100-year-old seaport overlooking Guanabara Bay and the Serra do Mar mountain range, shrouded in rainforest.
The shows Derelict sugar and coffee warehouses were transformed into three runway rooms complete with restaurants and lounges serving caipirinhas. Lenny Niemeyer, Brazil's hottest swimwear designer and a former landscape gardener, whose fans include Heidi Klum and Nicole Kidman, showed against a Saharan sand-dune backdrop; the bikinis married architectural cuts with hi-tech materials.
The people Izabel Goulart walked for Lenny, Caroline Trentini modelled for Salinas, Daiana Conterato for Auslander, Aline Weber walked for Maria Bonita Extra, Mara Mac and Espaço Fashion.
The hotel The Fasano hotel is a hotbed of activity during Rio Fashion Week. The cream of the fashion crowd including Natalia Vodianova (right) and the native Dellal family flock to the Philippe Starck- designed bar, Londra, in the basement. The roof-top infinity pool has been voted one of the world's top ten thanks to its views of Ipanema Beach and the Two Brothers mountains (fasano.com.br).

ISTANBUL FASHION WEEK
The setting Istanbul's third
fashion week, in August, was executed with panache. As 2010's European Capital of Culture, it formed part of the city's arts programme, designed to launch Turkish designers such as Gizia and Koton internationally.
The shows Lasting four days, shows took place in the Taskisla Technical University, an old stone building with high ceilings, arched windows, marble floors and a huge courtyard. Istanbul's state minister, Zafer Caglayan, has vowed that by 2023 the city will be a fashion capital to rival Milan or Paris. Shows fell into two categories: 'ready to wear', or 'leather'. The leather shows displayed a large number of gas masks; Milan has nothing to fear just yet.
The people Model Alek Wek walked for Atil Kutoglu and also sat on the front row alongside Anna Kournikova and Patricia Field. Victoria's Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio (left) walked for Koton swimwear. Margherita and Angela Missoni flew in for the weekend.
The hotel Located in the city's hip Nisantasi quarter, The Sofa was designed by Turkish architect Sinan Kafadar. Every room comes with an 'anytime-anything' button connecting to a 24-hour concierge. At the Taylife spa downstairs enjoy a detoxification treatment, or browse the Patika Bookstore, full of rare, historical books about Istanbul, before dining at the Long Table Mediterranean restaurant with its 14m bar (thesofahotel.com).

COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK
The setting Romantic architect Martin Nyrop's 1905 Copenhagen City Hall, one of the capital's most ornate buildings, was inspired by the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena, and is one of Copenhagen's most prominent landmarks.
The shows This year the city's giant statue of Hans Christian Andersen looked on as models strutted down the world's longest catwalk, along the high street, Strøget. Two hundred Scandinavian brands including Noir, Peter Jensen, Jean//phillip and Day Birger et Mikkelsen showed in August.
The people Crown Princess Mary of Denmark joined the event's patron Helena Christensen (far left) and Ali Hewson, Bono's eco-conscious fashion-designer wife (left), on the front row. Fashion bloggers The Sartorialist and Face Hunter snapped away.
The hotel First Hotel Skt Petri is located in a quiet corner of the Latin Quarter. With a tricolor scheme of red, white and blue, designed by Danish artist Per Arnoldi, the rooms overlook either the modernist courtyard or the Copenhagen skyline. The hotel's Bar Rouge is the city's hottest cocktail lounge attracting a crowd that likes its music as chilled as its aquavit (hotelsktpetri.com).