It's been a week of debuts and tributes so far at Paris Fashion Week—from Saint Laurent designer Anthony Vaccarello's homage to the fashion house's wild child roots, to Chloe designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi and Givenchy designer Claire Waight Keller's respective debuts. Check out some of the highlights from one of fashion's most anticipated events of the year below:

1. Dior

In her latest collection for Christian Dior, Maria Gratzia Chiuri posits a simple question: “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” While the answer to that question is long and plentifold, Chiuri sets out to straighten the record herself by supporting the work of French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle (who once modelled for Marc Bohan).

De Saint Phalle’s sculptures of Tarot-inspired mystical female figures formed the setting for the show, and her symbols are a common motif on the pieces. Chiuri’s youthful spin can still be found throughout the collection, with no shortage of shorts, low heels and denim—with plenty of tulle, of course.

2. Saint Laurent

Set in front of what spectactors are calling the most epic fashion show backdrop ever, the Eiffel Tower, Anthony Vaccarello’s latest collection for Saint Laurent was nothing short of dazzling. In the wake of co-founder Pierre Bergé’s death, the collection paid homage to the iconic fashion house’s roots while boldly taking sartorial risks as the founders were known to do.

From thigh-high ostrich feathered boots to the most mini of mini bubble dresses, it was a celebration of romance, freedom and unapologetic style—everything that Paris and Yves Saint Laurent stood for.

See also: The 5 new ways to rock the cardigan

3. Chloe

Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton alumnus Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s much-anticipated debut for Chloe did not disappoint, with spectators lauding her ability to stay true to the brand’s decidedly bohemian DNA while infusing her new flavour into the pieces. Chloe girls strutted down the runway in calf-length denim, pantsuits covered in horse motifs, embossed snake-skin everything and, most importantly, multi-strap crossbody bags that will no doubt find their way onto every It-girl’s arm before the snow melts.

4. Dries Van Noten

In a trend-driven era, we can always count on Dries Van Noten to march to the beat of its own drum and surprise us without losing sight of its vintage heritage.

Held under the ornate ceilings of Hotel de Ville, models glided down the runway in barely-there veils of clustered crystals, draped scarf-like dresses, boldly embroidered bombers and boots, and what feels like every pattern under the sun. It was a collection that exuded confidence, self-assurance and a devil-may-care attitude that forms the intoxicating blend of sexiness the fashion house is known for.

See also: The 14 trends that wowed at Milan Fashion Week Spring Summer 2018

5. Givenchy

All eyes were on Claire Waight Keller at the Givenchy show this weekend, which marked the designer’s debut for the French fashion house. The runway show—titled “Transformation Seduction”—took place at the Palais de Justice, a mid-19th-century building on the Île de la Cité, and showcased a collection that was far-removed from the punk rock-inspired aesthetic of Waight Keller’s predecessor, Riccardo Tisci.

The former creative director for Chloe took cues from house founder Hubert de Givenchy’s original sketches and his love for graphic prints for this collection, which she honoured through bold animal prints and pops of mint and red. Oh, and let's not forget those killer V-point knee-high boots.

 

6. Valentino

Oh, Valentino. How do you always get it so right? While much of the fashion world continues to move towards casual, athleisure-inspired looks, Valentino stays sitting pretty—literally—thanks to the incomparable vision and talent of creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, who believes that fashion's main function is to "make the ordinary extraordinary."

Piccioli took utilitarian pieces such as anoraks, windbreakers, coveralls and raincoats, and gave them a Valentino edge by reinventing them in elegant colour palettes and rich textures, including plenty of glitter and bedazzling. 

7. Balenciaga

If we could sum up the Balenciaga runway at Paris Fashion Week in a word, it would be "surreal." From clashing but somehow complementary prints to platform Crocs, legging boots to bizarre double-sleeved coats, the Spanish fashion house certainly knows how to put on a show.

The Man Repeller said it best when she described Demna Gvasalia’s latest collection for Balenciaga as "the most incredible embodiment of “weird in a good way” I’ve ever witnessed."

See also: Giuseppe Zanotti's fall footwear collection for million-dollar legs

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