Whereas New York has the business sense and Milan has the curve-hugging tailoring, Paris has always been special for the fantastical, conceptual and over-the-top individuality. For those latter reasons, I wanted to like the dress-heavy presentation Portuguese designer, Fátima Lopes, showcased for her Spring 2009 collection. The enthusiastic showing veered heavily towards eye-popping primary colors, including a royal blue and white checkered mini dress, a red jersey dress with a white obi-inspired belt that knotted on the side and a yellow silk modified overalls number featuring a dropped crotch. A common issue with such strong colors and pairings is the tendency for the pieces to come off like costume wear, and for a moment in the show, the parade of models imitated a deck of cards come to life. While some designers tackle this problem by using lighter fabrics or a more relaxed tailoring, Ms. Lopes opted for shiny silk taffetas and stiffer construction with skirts that flared aggressively at the knee and bustiers that stood away from the body. The collection was not entirely without redemption, however, as pieces in more subdued tones, like a black silk stunner with a plunging V-neckline and a curve-hugging print on the bodice or a grey ruffled one-shoulder top tucked into a draped orange silk skirt, better displayed Ms. Lopes’ talent for the girly party looks that she has built her label on in her native Portugal. By Bee-Shyuan Chang