Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

Look out for patchwork and paisley in electric brights and jolts of colour... if Paris was anything to go by, it's going to be a gorgeous winter!

The Alexander McQueen collection was inspired by British colonialism, regal triumphs, India and a made-up story about a girl who lives in a 600-year old elm tree who comes out of the darkness to meet a prince and become a queen.

With these inspirations the collection was gothic gothic meets sari chic. Sari silks that had feathered chiffon fountains bursting from beneath them, silken robes were embroidered with delicate peacocks whose beaks met at the strapless neckline and colonial velvets and ermine coats were richness personified.

McQueen managed to take most covetable of the British and Indian couture details and stir them into an incredible fantasy by way of his highly skilled tailoring techniques.

A romantic and unmissable collection.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

The epitome of French fashion, Chanel showed a collection that didn't disappoint.

The Chanel woman's attitude for winter was decidedly grown up with models wearing the traditional tweed Chanel suits; the fashion house's signature item.

The timeless Chanel elegance we know so well was illustrated by perfectly cut little silk dresses, sheer, frothy belted knits and chi-chi tweed trousers with buttons down the outside of each leg.

Pure Coco Chanel.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

The collection at Chloé was ultra-feminine lightness with a good dose of Bohemian glamour thrown in.

Ruffled and tiered tea dresses and vibrant satins were the order of the day. Models wore pinstriped Harem pants with formal waistbands, puff-sleeved blouses, short waistcoats and dresses dripping with chic appliqued flowers.

The feminine got a touch of bohemia with tiered floral tea dresses being teamed up with houndstooth and fur jackets. Snakeskin pointy-toed boots with plenty of toe cleavage also added to the glamour.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

John Galliano's autumn/winter 2008 show for Christian Dior was pure 1960's glam.

Big geometric patterns, big eyes and even bigger hair were the order of the day. Models took us back to sixties America where ladylike houndstooth-checked suits with bell-sleeves met hot pink, purple and lime green silk dresses in A-line psychedelic prints.

The look was fresh with bright, boxy suits that had matching bags and short gloves. The models' gigantic hair and earrings kept the look fresh. Some of the more luxurious looks included the mink and chinchilla furs with oversized buttons, sparkly beads on vibrant evening dresses, and shiny snakeskin suits that will bring out your inner Jackie O.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

John Galliano's autumn/winter 2008 show for Christian Dior was pure 1960's glam.

Big geometric patterns, big eyes and even bigger hair were the order of the day. Models took us back to sixties America where ladylike houndstooth-checked suits with bell-sleeves met hot pink, purple and lime green silk dresses in A-line psychedelic prints.

The look was fresh with bright, boxy suits that had matching bags and short gloves. The models' gigantic hair and earrings kept the look fresh. Some of the more luxurious looks included the mink and chinchilla furs with oversized buttons, sparkly beads on vibrant evening dresses, and shiny snakeskin suits that will bring out your inner Jackie O.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

Jean Paul Gaultier placed a huge emphasis on layers in his collection.

The collection featured animal prints aplenty in an earthy palette of khaki, ivory, steely black and clay red. Rich shades of gold and garnet were used for evening gowns.

Models shashayed down the catwalk in heavily fur-trimmed parkas worn with structured pencil skirts and sheer silky shirts, and slouchy styles of jumpers belted at the hip or cinched in at the waist. Structured capes and coats perched on the shoulders of voluminous evening gowns featured heavily.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

For his own collection, fashion legend, John Galliano looked to the East for his inspiration.

Tapping into the unstructured silhouettes and Oriental influences of twenties design legend Paul Poiret, the range used an autumnal palette which was rich in burgundys, blushes, russets and navies, shot through with coral, orange and turquoise.

Short cropped fur jackets were the order of the day, in boxy twenties styles with wide collars, formal riding styles with hip-pockets and black buttons on claret wool, or chic, unstructured shawl shapes with wide bell sleeves and cross-over necklines.

Seperates dominated, and what dresses did feature were often obscured by wildly voluminous coats or, deliciously, patterned knits. 1920's flapper dresses (some so sheer they bared the model's breasts), ruffles, bows, tassels, feathers and embellished print shifts

Galliano's collection was as whimsical and wild as ever.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

Sporty was the theme for the Miu Miu's collection and it was just delightful.

Models wore jockey uniforms in bright silk panels with the models' initials embroidered on their chests and all-in-ones outfits, long shorts and laser-cut dresses.

Layering featured with shorts peeping out from under slick pencil skirts, while flashes of colour from the all-in-ones could be seen under the black dresses through cut-out shapes.

Gorgeous elegant track-suit-dresses and bubble-shape sweaters were teamed with next season's cone-shaped heels.

It looks like it's going to be a 'sporty' season.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

The fashionistas sat with bated breath to see Alessandra Facchinetti's first show as head designer for Valentino.

She presented an interesting vision of Valentino which looked pretty, fresh and modern.

The collection was filled with oyster-hued ensembles. Tulip-shaped skirts, pretty ballerina style dresses and sleek funnel-necked jackets fastened elegantly across the models bodies. Pleats that gently erupted into cascades of folds down the front of typically Valentino frocks, huge big bows blossoming on the collars of froth-layered gowns and frill-adorned sleeves were all featured.

A beautiful collection that Valentino would be proud of.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

It was quirky and surreal at Dutch design duo Viktor & Rolf's show.

The designer used his collection to make a stand against the fast pace of fashion.

This inspiration was translated into grey trench coats boasting a collar that morphed into the word 'No','Wow' and 'Dream on' emblazoned across the models faces.

Models wore skinny fit trousers in red wine shades. Silk shift dresses came in bright red with staple embellishments. Jackets seemed to be created from two different wardrobes, furry sleeves completed a double-breasted number while padded and puffer sleeves made for a striking contrast on neat jacket and skirt ensembles.

A quirky and fun collection, but perhaps not always wearable.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

Marc Jacobs went with a mature mood for the Louis Vuitton collection.

A soothing palette of black, grey, mint, cream and beige was used. The collection was about shapes and silhouettes and working with folding and draping.

For winter, Vuitton is aspiring to the luxury and modern elegance underpinned by a little twenties tomboy sass that meant sumptuous cashmere wrap coats and gorgeous LBDs with unique twists at the neckline.

Gorgeous, glam and very French.

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

When it comes to Vivienne Westwood expect the unexpected.

Her Paris collection was a glorious celebration of dress at its best. The runway was filled with stilt walkers, freedom fighters,faces painted with flowers and cobwebs and a set of eye-catching prints designed by seven-year-olds that Westwood used in her show.

Models wore wildly voluminous checked jackets teamed with cropped-to-the-ankle pinstripe trousers, mannish tailoring in suave chocolate velvet, corset-waisted trousers, ripped-through fishnets, torn-hem dresses accented with a lavish swag, barely-there hotpants and lashings of leather and skins which all added to the 'freedom fighters in the jungle' feel.

Westwood at her creative best!

Paris Fashion Week autumn/winter 2008

Things got slightly spacey at Yves Saint Laurent . Futuristic robotic models in elegant uniform clothing was the look for autumn/winter 2008.

Sporting cropped black wigs, burgundy-black lips and slim line glasses that completely covered their eyes the models looked like members of a very fashionable army, while the clothes were beautifully tailored with clear lines, incredible silhouettes and plenty of origami folds.

With tailored tweed jackets and the asymmetrical biker jackets, too-short pants and odd splashes of colour the collection had a distinctly Eighties feel to it.

Compiled by: Jenna Shevel.
Pics: AFP Images.