Saturday, 31 January 2015

The most glamorous moments from Paris haute couture fashion week

Frills, flowers and fashion: The most glamorous moments from Paris haute couture fashion week where the dresses don't even come with price tags because hardly anyone can afford them

  • The SS15 haute couture catwalks served up the boldest and most forward-thinking designs the city has seen
  • Shows included Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier and Chanel
  • FEMAIL rounds up the most glamorous moments the week had to offer
From lovely lace at Chanel to dripping diamonds at Schiaparelli, the Paris haute couture shows are the stuff of fashion dreams.
The garments, some of which require 300 hours of work, are crafted with the red carpet in mind and are so bespoke that they don't even come with a price tag because if you're lucky enough to snap one up, budget is of no relevance.
The SS15 haute couture catwalks served up the boldest and most forward-thinking designs the city has seen in a good few years; haute is all about making a statement after all (even if no one buys the clothes). FEMAIL rounds up the most glamorous moments the week had to offer.
FEMAIL rounds up the most lavish moments of Paris haute couture week, starting with Chanel's runway, which was transformed into a paper jungle and watched by the likes of Kris Jenner and Anna Wintour 
FEMAIL rounds up the most lavish moments of Paris haute couture week, starting with Chanel's runway, which was transformed into a paper jungle and watched by the likes of Kris Jenner and Anna Wintour 
It makes sense to start with Chanel, which has become one of the most talked-about, anticipated and well-attended shows in haute couture history.
Watched from the front row by Kris Jenner, Anna Wintour and Kristin Stewart, Karl Lagerfeld sent his models - including Kendall Jenner - down the beautifully ornate runway in tulle, thousand-colour boucle and crystal flower embellished everything. 
Clearly a key theme in the paper jungle show, flowers featured prominently and hair maestro Sam McKnight's hair decorations, which hung from each girl's low plait, trended on social media. 
Karl Lagerfeld - the King of couture - unveiled crop tops and lavish skirts embellished with thousands of ornate floral sequins
Model Kendall Jenner walks the runway during the Chanel show
Karl Lagerfeld - the King of couture - unveiled crop tops and lavish skirts embellished with thousands of ornate floral sequins and tulle, as modelled by his new muse, Kendall Jenner, right 
Giving the Chanel showspace a run for its money was Dior's haute couture show, which was held across two levels.
Adding to the drama, the upper deck was supported by white scaffolding so that the clatter of the models' shoes added to the general ambiance of the show. 
There were printed catsuits, ballerina dresses and plenty of sequins, as well as knitted minidresses,  crop tops and stripes in abundance.
Perhaps the most talked-about item on the catwalk was the latex legging boots in bold, primary colours and ankle boots with Perspex heels.
Over at Zuhair Murad was a whole different story. The Beirut-based Lebanese fashion designer, who is loved by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Jennifer Lopez, sent models down the runway in beautifully embellished floral tulle gowns.
The ethereal gowns, which were decorated with blush pink rosebuds and smatterings of sparkle, will no doubt be gracing the Oscar red carpet next year.
The ornate gowns were sometimes slashed from the chest to the naval, but the long sleeves and floor-length hemlines kept a certain conservatism about them.
Dior's haute couture show in Paris was held across two levels to add to the drama 
Dior's haute couture show in Paris was held across two levels to add to the drama 
The most talked-about item on the catwalk was the latex legging boots with clattering metal heels
The most talked-about item on the catwalk was the latex legging boots with clattering metal heels
The most talked-about item on the catwalk was the latex legging boots with clattering metal heels
Zuhair Murad is a Beirut-based Lebanese fashion designer, who is loved by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Jennifer Lopez
Zuhair Murad sent models down the runway in beautifully embellished floral tulle gowns
Zuhair Murad, a Beirut-based Lebanese fashion designer, who is loved by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Jennifer Lopez, sent models down the runway in beautifully embellished floral tulle gowns
The Ralph & Russo runway was a similar story. Watched from the front row by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and her husband, the designers aimed to capture the Goddess of Spring with a majestic collection that they say symbolised nature’s regenerative powers.
For SS15, the Ralph & Russo muse is an 'exultant deity, whose gifts lend themselves to delight', they say.
Acclaimed for its excellence in craftsmanship, the maison de couture aims to inspire with eye-catching embellishment, such as petal appliqué and pearl embroidery; the devil really is in the detail.
The colour palette - crisp and most sophisticated - was full of pomegranate pinks, soft mints and cornflower blues.
The collection, above all, aims to flatter the female form thanks to sheaths of organza, which promise to hug the figure in all the right places.
The show saw the models metamorphose into fairies and nymphs, gracefully collecting blossoms in their structured collars or scattering buds into the folds of their gowns - and Mrs Fernandez-Versini seemed most impressed. 
The designers at Ralph & Russo were inspired by the 'goddess of spring' with detail such as blue and white petal appliqué and pearl embroidery sewn to Fifties-style dresses and flirty tulle-lined strapless dresses
The designers at Ralph & Russo were inspired by the 'goddess of spring' with detail such as blue and white petal appliqué and pearl embroidery sewn to Fifties-style dresses and flirty tulle-lined strapless dresses
The designers at Ralph & Russo were inspired by the 'goddess of spring' with detail such as blue and white petal appliqué and pearl embroidery sewn to Fifties-style dresses and flirty tulle-lined strapless dresses
A model wears the bridal gown closing the Ralph & Russo show in dramatic fashion
A model wears the bridal gown closing the Ralph & Russo show in dramatic fashion
Lindsey Wixson walked the Jean Paul Gaultier runway show in a dungaree style gown teamed with some interesting headgear
Lindsey Wixson walked the Jean Paul Gaultier runway show in a dungaree style gown teamed with some interesting headgear
Jean Paul Gaultier's show opened with the silhouette of a bride in a cloud of dry ice to the beats of Billy Idol's White Wedding.
Each model that followed rocked a look as flamboyant as the one before it from a red snakeskin blinged up trench-dress to a modern take on Madonna’s famous conical bra.
Lindsey Wixson walked the runway show in a dungaree style gown teamed with a beekeeper-esque hat and Naomi Campbell drew loud cheers as she closed the show looking as youthful as she did when she stepped out for the designer twenty years ago. 
Valentino, a label coveted by the A-list, served up romantic skirts, dresses and coats printed with poetic embellishment.
The brand's creative directors, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, were inspired by 'love in its purest form' and SS15 was a story of billowing velvet dresses and hand-embroidered sheepskin coats.
The duo's main source of inspiration came from the work of Marc Chagall, the Russian-French artist who travelled between St Petersburg and Paris before World War One.
The SS15 pieces took cue from Chagall’s romantic and modernist interpretation of different cultures.
There was plenty of white tulle hand-painted in grey and embroidered with pearls and delicate flowers.
One dress, which was splashed with the moon and smatterings of stars, took a staggering 3,000 hours to embroider on hand painted linen. 
Valentino served up romantic dresses and coats printed with poetic embellishment and hand-stitched motifs
The brand's creative directors were inspired by 'love in its purest form' and the work of Marc Chagall
Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier and model Naomi Campbell walk the runway at the end of the Jean Paul Gaultier show as part of Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture week
Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier and model Naomi Campbell walk the runway at the end of the Jean Paul Gaultier show as part of Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture week


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