If you've been a fan of "Sex and the City" for its forward-moving fashion ideas, it's time to get excited.

French designer Gilles Montezin, who dressed Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda for this year's movie (and whose style savvy will surface in next year's "Confessions of a Shopaholic"), is following up his stint at New York's recent Fashion Week with a trip to the Midwest to join in the inaugural Milwaukee Fashion Week, Oct. 3-6.

Aside from sharing his new collection, Montezin donated a $7,000 dress -- currently on display at Boutique B'lou at The Pfister -- for an auction supporting the Hummingbird Project, which helps children in South Africa.

"Gilles said that causes for women and children were very dear to his heart, and he wanted to be able to make an impact for the charity," says Milwaukee Fashion Week founder Hillary Fry. "This is a beautiful gift on so many different levels: The tangible dress, the joy of the person with the winning bid, and the benefits for the charity."

On top of that, Montezin is bringing 35 couture pieces, including pieces from the movies, for a runway experience on Oct. 6. OnMilwaukee.com caught up with Montezin for a little fashion Q & A session as he prepares for Milwaukee Fashion Week.

OnMilwaukee.com: To start, are you at all familiar with Milwaukee's emerging fashion scene?

Gilles Montezin: Unfortunately, I have never been to Milwaukee before -- the New York fashion scene has kept me pretty busy for the past five seasons! It is going to be a great adventure. I am very much looking forward to the event. It will surely be very well received by the fashion community.

OMC: What has been the biggest fashion challenge of your career?

GM: I think the biggest challenge in my career so far has been to study haute-couture in Paris. I was one of the lucky ones to be selected amongst thousands of applicants. I had to be excellent in classes -- we were only 10 (students)! It was an immense privilege to be able to have access to such a high level of technique and competence. They treat dresses like works of art. I remember a dress by Christian Lacroix that was borrowed by the famous French actress Sabine Azéma for an award night and when the dress came back, it was wilted! Like a flower! Haute-couture can be so poetic and touching.

OMC: What type of woman is your creative muse in creating these poetic looks?

GM: My good friend and writer Laren Stover, who wrote fantastic books like "The Bombshell Manual of Style" and "Bohemian Manifesto," is my muse. She has that modern feminine elegance and is discretely sexy, just like Hepburn would be now. Delicious!

OMC: What makes certain clients easier or harder to design for?

GM: I think success, when designing for someone, is when the client knows what she wants. When there is hesitation, there are troubles ahead. When the client knows how she wants to look or feel, it is a pure pleasure to work with her. There is a bonding that is being created and we can take the project to another level. It is not a question of size or looks or age. It is a question of style!

OMC: One of your projects for Milwaukee Fashion Week is an
"Hommage a Yves Saint-Laurent." What kind of influence did Saint-Laurent have on your work over the years?

GM: Mr. Saint-Laurent was a great women lover! You have to worship women to be able to go beyond their needs like he did for so long. His sense of color was impeccable. Saint-Laurent showed us all how to care for women during his reign. He had such a knowledge and respect of the women's body that could only result in pure delight.

For the Milwaukee Fashion Week, I am very humbly creating some pieces as an "hommage" to Saint-Laurent: there will be pieces that are strongly inspired by his work like a dress "a la Mondrian" and other themes he used. Surprise! Suspense! I hope I will succeed in paying tribute to such a great artist and that people attending the show will like it.