Paris Couture Week is the ideal time to soak in the beauty of the romantic city, freeze frames of the dressed-to-thrill couture-wearing soignées and schoomze with the talented couturiers. Every season ends with you believing that it was the best till the fashion geniuses outdo themselves yet again.... by going out of their comfort zone and creating another extraordinary daring look.

Givenchy: ‘A Homage to Hubert’

This season's most moving show was easily Givenchy under the dynamic Claire Waight Keller, who pulled off the biggest couture coup by dressing Meghan Markle for the Royal Wedding earlier this year. The house's legendary founder, couturier Hubert de Givenchy passed away in February, which made it an emotional outing. Hosted in Paris’s Archives Nationales, the show artfully referenced Audrey Hepburn's most memorable outfits from classics like Sabrina and Breakfast At Tiffany's. The show opened with a model sporting a pink and white ensemble which set the sublime mood for the entire show. Audrey's iconic LBD from Tiffany's was given an of-the-moment twist as it came with an au courant hoodie accent. At the finale, the Moon River soundtrack was played as Givenchy's men and women walked on the mirrored runway.

The RAVISHIG ROLLAND BRIDE

Day 3 of the haute couture week calendar saw designer Stephane Rolland scaling up his trademark theatricality with his nomadic medieval-style floral embroidered creations. Always eclipsing the Parisian style landscape with his brand of high-octane glamour, this season, he hosted his show in one of the halls of Radio France. Not surprisingly, the backdrop was majestic, with six percussionists on the stage having the couture cognoscenti under their spell. The collection had a soothing appeal with an earthy camel palette punctuated with a fission of tobacco rose hues. I loved the beautifully realized 3-D embroidery and the statement-making tuxedo coat-dress with long sleeves. The arresting array of closing evening/bridal gowns had a touch of medieval  Renaissance and the show-stopping bride stood out as she enhanced her crystal embedded voluminous organza cloud like gown with a tiara from the luxury jewelry label Boghossian, which sparkled on her head. A fitting finale to a stunning showcase of multiple talents all at once.

My Fabulous Three- Elie Saab, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Zuhair Murad presented their couture spectacles back to back on day 4.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl92rxvgMP7/?hl=en&taken-by=peepingmoon

Recommended Read: Paris goes insanely aesthetic for Fall 2018 Haute couture week: Decoding ‘L’Atelier Sonia Rykiel’ collection

Elie Saab’s Opulent oomph

Just his name conjures one’s imagination with timeless images of Royals, celebrities, and women who live a hallowed life of opulent glamour. Elie Saab is probably one of the few couturiers whose artistic imagination seen on runway translates into a wearable realistic look despite his opulent embroideries, a jingle-jangle of sequins and Baroque beading from head to foot. This season, the iconic visionary was inspired by the masterworks of Gaudi and presented his show at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs. I fell instantly in love (having been to Barcelona earlier this year to pay homage to Gaudi’s masterpieces in person) with the asymmetrical verticality of his embroidered silhouette which was an homage to the whimsical erratic genius of Gaudi. His perception of women has always been that of an aristocrat, with a modern-day hint of rock and roll in her style file. And in this season he continued heralding the glamorous flamboyant femininity he's so loved for. Thank God for that!

[caption id="attachment_109219" align="aligncenter" width="3024"] Sheetal Mafatlal with Elie Saab[/caption]

The Gaultier youthquake

Trust Jean Paul Gaultier to wreak a sartorial youthquake at the couture week with his deconstruction techniques. He was the first designer to put men in skirts in the '80s and his autumn winter collection exemplified his push on tailoring and his timeless and unique take on androgynous dressing. Phrases - “Smoking or No Smoking” was projected against the beautiful backdrop as he showcased an array of alluring and of-the-moment Le Smokings. His evening jackets were morphed into a double-breasted dress; cut sans the sleeves and were finished off with a pair of statement-making trouser boots. A kaftan with a trompe l’oeil print stood out. The show closed with a thrilling finale when a boy and a girl came out topless but for clear plastic, shields pushed into their waistbands. Monsieur Gaultier has always questioned gender rules and this show was yet another way of ‘freeing the nipple’. He's always been the quintessential pin-up for rebel chic epitomized by Nile Rogers and a turbaned Naomi Campbell on his front row.

[caption id="attachment_109223" align="aligncenter" width="3024"] Sheetal Mafatlal with Jean Paul Gaultier[/caption]

Zuhair Murad:  Igniting Imperial regalia

Zuhair Murad has always been the metaphor for opulence and exuberance and his 55 look autumn winter line-up was inspired by the Czarinas and the magical nights of imperial St. Petersburg. I loved the exquisite jewel-like detailing on the heavily embellished garments teamed with statement headpieces to complete the look. True to his go-bold-or-go-home aesthetic, he embellished his creations with tone on tone and floral embroideries. He drew inspiration from the epochal royal Elizabeth of Russia whose closet apparently comprised of 15,000 dresses. The collection also relied on the legacy from the military regalia of that period, which dazzled the millennial clientele comprising of the Oligarch czarinas. To slay a Zuhair Murad creation, you definitely have to be a woman with a strong personal style, confidence and the inherent love of fashion.

[caption id="attachment_109226" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Sheetal Mafatlal with Zuhair Murad[/caption]

A special mention must be made of the uber-chic omnipresent Jessica Garnetti Khalaf (founder & owner of Garnetti a company that specializes in bridging the demand of the client and the artistic creativity of the couturier), who is always the master of ceremonies at these shows as she ushers her  clients mostly middle eastern royalty from one couturier to another in search of the ultimate couture creation for an upcoming occasion.

This season, the sheer explosion of creativity, new ideas and grand showcases totally dazzled my already dazzled mind. In a turbulent socio-political scenario sweeping the world, it's heartwarming to see haute couture ateliers retaining their decades-old savoir-faire and unbridled creativity. Bravo to the undying spirit of couture! Bravo Paris!