Elegance and sophistication at Paris fashion week

"This season's collection is a tribute to girls named Kate, Chloe, Cecilia, Corinne, Emma... and others who embody liberty and elegance" was the statement yesterday by Claire Wright Keller, the UK designer at Chloe, the label founded in 1952 by the pioneering Gaby Aghion who died last year.

Now owned by the luxury giant Richemont, many previous designers like Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo (of Celine) and Hannah McGibbon have brought more of a British aesthetic to the French brand and this collection shown at the Grand Palais was no exception.

Like Keller’s previous one, this was girly and dreamy in spirit with its long, tiered garden party dresses and flyaway baby doll numbers counterpointed with boyish takes on tracksuits worn in an offhand way. Despite loose denim shirts, wide leg trousers and slouchy overalls, the focus was more on off the shoulder frills and flounces, finely pleated chiffon dresses in starburst colours trimmed with pompoms and delicate boudoir slips in soft skin tones.

Party girl

The finale, a line up of white lace dresses drove home the defiantly feminine and party girl mood of the collection.

Carven, another revamped French brand from the 50s is today run by two ex Givenchy designers whose idea of a "Carven girl" is one who can carry off skin-tight shiny trousers and lace up stilettos, white short suits and China print short dresses. A border motif of cut out circles on the A line skirts ran throughout the show which also offered black warrior coats and flouncy handkerchief pointed skirts. It was smart, sexy and commercial with a 60s secretary vibe modernised for a new generation.

The venues at Paris fashion week are often as interesting as the clothes. The courtyard of the elite Descartes School of Medicine was the setting yesterday for an extraordinary presentation from the independent Belgian husband and wife team A F Vandevorst. 20 Harley Davidsons at full blast opened this show, a helmeted model on each back seat. Out strode these biker girls in silvered leggings, their suits, skirts and dresses sparkling with heavy metal embellishment – glamorous modern armour in which elements of ceremonial and military regalia were reworked in very sophisticated ways. It made for an exciting and impressive collection and drew unprecedented applause. Irish buyers take note.