The China Mail - Quiet and not-so-quiet luxury at Paris Fashion Week

- Quiet luxury -

The watchword of high-end fashion last year was quiet luxury, thanks in large part to the success of TV show "Succession".

Whether out of guilt at deepening social inequality or for the love of classic tailoring, the trend showed no sign of abating in Paris this week.

Fashion site Culted said AMI was a leading example, highlighting the "timelessness of a garment and rejecting the trend cycle altogether", with its expertly tailored suits and trench coats in autumnal tones.

Online fashion firm Hypebeast argued that it was Hermes who should be seen as the "epitome of quiet luxury", with its long leather coats and heavy knitwear in a sombre palette of blacks, greys and browns.

Dior was also a classy affair, as designer Kim Jones used a show dedicated to Rudolf Nureyev to present some haute couture takes on kaftans, turbans and stage costumes beloved of the ballet legend.

- And not-so-quiet -

There were lots of roses, red lips and polka dots among the sparkly reworkings of tuxedos and classic suits at Balmain's first menswear show in several years.

"It's luxury, but it's definitely not quiet," designer Olivier Rousteing told fashion site WWD.

The show, which he described as a celebration of African style, was full of bold colours, innovative shapes, luxurious facial jewellery and gold bags -- tasteful but very bling, and ended with an appearance by the queen of divas, Naomi Campbell.

Every goth's favourite designer, Rick Owens, is always a highlight for fashion experts. His latest show was more low-key than normal in its setting -- at his Paris atelier -- but there was the usual shock factor.

Alongside the familiar stilts, pagoda-like shoulders and dilated black pupils were a new highlight: huge rubber boots -- something between a condom and a missile warhead -- that the designer himself called "grotesque and inhuman" in their proportions.

- Celeb-spotting -

Celebrity presence has always been a big part of the fashion game, with sporting tie-ups playing an increasingly big role.

New York label KidSuper scored big by convincing Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho to walk the catwalk.

Loewe is always a celebrity hotspot, and Saturday's show saw actors Jamie Dornan and Nicholas Hoult and popstar Zayn Malik on the front row.

Louis Vuitton has gone a step further, naming a celebrity from outside the fashion world as its creative director last year, hip-hop star Pharrell Williams.

His American West-themed show, full of cowboy hats and rhinestones, attracted Bradley Cooper and rapper Playboi Carti, while British trad-rockers Mumford and Sons debuted new song "Good People" at the after-party.

Perhaps the coolest A-listers were reserved for 80-year-old Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, who featured cult German director Wim Wenders and "Walking Dead" star Norman Reedus on the catwalk, while football legend Zinedine Zidane watched from the front row.

K.Lam--ThChM