Once the men’s shows in Milan and Paris wrap up it is time for one of the most over-the-top and fashionable times of the year... the Paris Haute-Couture shows. The shows started Sunday January 24th and wrapped up on Thursday January 28th... and let me reassure you that they delivered jaw-dropping creations! This isn’t a normal fashion extravaganza... Paris Haute-Couture week is a wonderful and complicated thing. Now the term “couture” is one of the most over-used words in fashion but it generally always refers to high fashion. Of course in France... and for this particular week it has a very specific meaning. Haute-couture is made to order for a specific customer and is usually made from the most expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail... often most pieces are created by hand and are one of a kind.

It’s also not a week for just any designer who wants to put on a show. The following design houses are the only certified couturiers and the only designers who are permitted to show collections during this particular fashion week: Adeline André, Anne Valérie Hash, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Dominique Sirop, Franck Sorbier, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Maurizio Galante, Stéphane Rolland and John Hogstad Lund. There are also four correspondent members: Elie Saab, Giorgio Armani, Maison Martin Margiela and Valentino, as well as a list of rotating guest designers.

Here are a few highlights from the ultra fabulous week:

Christian Dior
Monday January 25, 2010
John Galliano's spring/summer collection for Christian Dior had an elaborate equestrian theme. The audience gazed in amazement at models prancing through the grand salons of the Dior mansion… some with dressage-style top hats others with over teased hair that was piled into giant masses. Early cat walkers wore super fitted jackets and looked like they were on their way to the stables for a riding lesson... and then voluminous ball gowns appeared in a variety of colours! It was as incredible and over-the-top as Galliano himself. Of course the designer himself appeared on stage at the end of the collection in full costume before kneeling down to kiss Dior model Karlie Kloss’s hand.

Giorgio Armani Prive
Monday January 25, 2010
Pure elegance and exaggerated silhouettes were dominant on the runway when Giorgio Armani presented his spring/summer haute-couture collection in Paris on Monday. A haunting moon against clouds formed a dramatic backdrop for the show... models walked the runway in shimmering pieces that all featured a muted colour palette. The collection of blacks, whites, silvers and dark navy were striking in the moon themed collection. “Why the moon? Because it is romantic,” the designer said after the show... and it certainly was. Notable guests included: Tina Turner, Anne Hathaway and Marianne Cotillard.

Chanel
Tuesday January 26, 2010
Fashion God Karl Lagerfeld’s spring 2010 haute-couture collection for Chanel, which he called his “neon baroque”, hit the Paris runway on Tuesday with lots of incredible pastel, silver and gold garments. The craftsmanship was incredible and garments included one dress and jacket that featured over 13,000 satin flowers while another embroidered satin and chiffon dress apparently took over 190 hours to create. The shoes were incredibly excessive and included silver shoe-boots with carved heels and pearl trimmed soles. For the finale Lagerfeld’s muse, model Baptiste Giabiconi, walked the runway in a gold suit escorting Abbey Lee Kershaw wearing the final customary and very elaborate wedding dress. The closing gown, which included a cape made from 200 meters of tulle and silk, took 1,300 hours to make. Notable guest included: Alexa Chung, Claudia Schiffer, Kayne West and Amber Rose.

Stephane Rolland
Tuesday January 26, 2010
Stephane Rolland is relatively new to the haute-couture scene, however in the three short years since launching his own label the designer has definitely made a memorable impact. Some of the most dramatic gowns in the last couple of years have been courtesy of the French designer and the spring/summer haute-couture collection was no different. Pieces that came down the runway had sharp and dramatic accents and amazing details. Think extreme sequin detailing, interesting shapes and fabric jetting at the hips as well as fabric gathered and exploding at the hems. Most impressive was the laser-cut Plexiglas and the amazing sheen added by the gleaming lacquer on many pieces (lacquered pieces received a reported 20-30 coats!). The closing gown may not have been the most wearable gown... but it was truly incredible!

Givenchy
Tuesday January 26, 2010
Ricardo Tisci, Givenchy's current couturier brought a little big top circus to Paris with his spring/summer 2010 haute-couture show. The short show consisted of 22 looks and featured piles of silk, organza and sequin. A touch of Goth glamour could be found in some of the garments while others cried out Saturday Night Fever with a early 70’s flare... and then of course there were the elaborate couture gowns! Crazy, over-the-top and elaborate. Tisci said the show was all about “beauty, early '70s Paris, erotica and, of course, Serge Lutens”. Notable guests included: Ciara, Kanye West and Amber Rose.

Elie Saab
Wednesday January 27, 2010
Elie Saab is known for delivering elegant, over-the-top, sexy red carpet gowns... and the designers spring 2010 haute-couture collection delivered everything you could expect and much more. The colours were delicate pastels and many of the gowns featured thigh high slits that added in that trademark Elie Saab sex appeal! Other creations were shorter featuring excellent draping and totally sassy vibe. Overall an utterly glamorous and feminine collection! Notable guests included: Dita Von Teese, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky and supermodel Olga Kurylenko.

Jean Paul Gaultier
Wednesday January 27, 2010
Jean Paul Gaultier turned his spring/summer 2010 haute couture collection into a Mexican extravaganza in Paris. Gaultier explained: “I saw 'Avatar' and, like everyone, found it extraordinary. And from there, I began thinking of nature and ecology, and the Latin American tropics and from there it was not very far to Mexico”. The collection was one divine detail after another... cut out and humongous details were abundant. The show finished with French-American chanteuse Arielle Dombasle singing a Mexican aria on the runway while Gaultier came out to take his bow. Gaultier fave Dita Von Teese was of course in the front row.

Valentino
Wednesday January 27, 2010
The haute-couture season concluded (for the exception of the jewelry shows) with the spring/summer collection for Valentino. It was an interesting show to close with... I mean it was perhaps the least dramatic of all of the shows this past week. Valentino's new design team wanted their collection to represent their vision of Eden. Models, some blindfolded, walked the runway wearing vibrantly coloured chiffons, and super short skirts. A fabulous collection… but left me wanting a little more drama.

(Photos courtesy of: Getty Image Entertainment)