The rise of the euro against the dollar is making US retailers attending Paris Fashion Week think hard before placing orders for pricey European clothes and accessories.

The US has been a vibrant market for the big European fashion labels, such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton. But the need for manufacturers to preserve profit margins during the dollar’s long-standing malaise meant the dollar prices of their products had in some cases been increased to vertiginous levels even before the euro climbed to more than $1.40 last month.