Having just given birth to twins, designer Sarah Burton was understandably absent during the Alexander McQueen presentation at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. But the new mum, who designed Kate Middleton's wedding dress, had pulled together a 10 look collection that was shown to an elite group of fashion experts in the capital's Opera Comique. The intricate creations drew inspiration from "the high church", offering modern takes on communion gowns and cardinals' robes.
Ruff collars, pearls and feathers referenced various religious iconography, while caged crinolines and billowing sleeves provided a futuristic vibe. The finale was a dramatic tribute to Queen Elizabeth I – an ornate ivory gown boasting a bodice of gold brocade. Elsewhere at Paris Fashion Week, Valentino treated fashionistas to fairytale fashion. A magical collection featuring intricate embroidery and rich lace in a colour palette of signature Valentino red, beige and black was unveiled by designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli.
The design duo had taken inspiration from Flemish paintings, something that was evident in the richly coloured collection of short, Peter Pan-collared dresses, peplums, and dramatic, red carpet ready gowns. The day before, Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld wowed with his spectacular show. His army of models – including It girl Cara Delevingne – marched around an enormous, 50ft high spinning globe while showcasing his new confections.The planet replica was adorned with lights denoting cities and red, double CC flags for the 300 Chanel boutiques around the world. Chanel always pulls a starry crowd, and Tuesday's show saw Jessica Chastain, Vanessa Paradis, Alice Dellal, Anna Wintour and Milla Jovovich all turn out to support the French fashion house. Vanessa, who is one of Karl's long time muses, was a fan of the backdrop. "It's impressive," said the French singer, who is finishing her next album Love Songs.
