Paris diaries

The Paris Fashion Week needs to refocus its audience’s attention away from the scandal and back on to the actual clothes.

With star designer John Galliano now disgraced, dismissed from Christian Dior, and rumoured to be headed for rehab, Paris Fashion Week is facing a huge dilemma. How can it refocus its audience’s attention away from the scandal and back on to the actual clothes?

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The first big show of the day was from Dries Van Noten, where relaxed silk dresses made with a patchwork of different prints had an art deco feel, collarless coats had fur sleeves and were cinched in with skinny belts. Blouses were trimmed with copper-coloured sequins and there was a healthy smattering of tweed, metallic and brocade. The Mugler show had already been much hyped with Lady Gaga performing live. The clothes bore a distinct fall flavour, with shades like deep sand, black and chocolate. The cuts were simple.