Monday, October 3 I land in Paris to hear that British designer Matthew Williamson has been appointed the new creative director of Pucci. I head to Jun Takahashi's Undercover show, which is held in a dark space lit by altar candles. It feels like I've stumbled into a pagan ritual or serious fire hazard. Takahashi sends out ashen-faced, willowy models wearing conical headdresses, and tunics, skirts and dresses sewn together from T-shirts.
I arrive at Viktor & Rolf only to find the catwalk on the ceiling and two flower-filled urns turned upside-down on either side. This sets the theme, and the show begins with the duo and their models taking a bow first, then showing a range of topsy-turvy clothing, including a chartreuse satin gown worn with shoulder straps dangling around the ankles and twisted tuxedo jackets and trousers worn askew. Although the show makes everyone smile, perhaps the designers paid insufficient attention to the clothes (which, if turned the right way up, are very normal).
Tuesday, October 4 Metro workers are on strike so I get to Balenciaga early to spot Diane Kruger and the stylish Maggie Cheung Ho-yee, who looks amazing in a navy Balenciaga military jacket that everyone will want.
Nicolas Ghesquiere sets the bar for the week with a stunning collection that fuses the house's heritage, his modern sensibility and sharp silhouettes. Structured bubble dresses hark back to Cristobal's early days, while rock T-shirts and high-necked shirts with pleated collars (rock chick meets baroque) are paired with striped skinny trousers. The beauty of the collection lies in detailed ornamentation and crafty use of jacquard, silk and lace.
If Ghesquiere is channelling Marie Antoinette, Jean-Paul Gaultier is eating cake with peasants in the countryside. Models look like they've just emerged from a tumble in a haystack and skip down a hay-strewn catwalk in embroidered silk peasant blouses, folksy print dresses and high-waisted shorts. The city girl isn't neglected either, with sophisticated tailored suits and jackets with bows and ruching.
It's off to Christian Dior at the imposing 19th-century Grand Palais, which is being opened for the first time in 12 years after a multimillion-euro renovation. The crowd, including actresses Sharon Stone, Lucy Liu and Rachel Weisz, watches a subdued John Galliano reveal nude and lace dresses and skirts, all inspired by a haute couture gown worn by Kate Moss earlier this year. After exposing lots of flesh, he switches to tulle dresses that range from nude to orange to fuchsia, while editors coo over the new slouchy leather saddle bag. After the show, we enjoy a private viewing of the Vienna 1900 exhibition, featuring works by grand masters such as Klimt, Schiele, Moser and Kokoschka, combining fine art and fashion for a glorious evening.