Dazzling decadence was the watchword that night, with strips of metal plated with real gold circling the dresses like luxury body armour, around a shoulder, across the back and down the side of the ribs.
curlicued laser-cut embroidery added to the science-fiction air, with hair scraped tightly back into high pony tails.
sheer floor-length lace and embroidery dresses exposed legs up to the thigh, while short body-sculpting models in lace or leather came with shield-like plates on the front of stilettos, or reaching up above the knee.
Haute couture is a protected appellation in France, awarded based on strict criteria like the amount of work carried out by hand and in-house, and the share of pieces made to measure.
Here's Donatella Versace's 14 prized collection during the Paris Couture Fashion Week. Click on the pic to have a bigger view.
tight hugs,
AC