PARIS - Paris Fashion Week wrapped up on Wednesday, leaving fashionistas, buyers and fans taking a deep breath to mull over the big trends seen on -- and off -- the catwalk.
Models present creations by Rahul Mishra during the 2015-2016 fall/winter ready-to-wear collection fashion show on March 11, 2015 in Paris, France.
Here are a few of the after-images seared into their sunglass-shielded, mascara-framed eyes:
- Big showy productions -
Some of the labels put on such extravagant, spectacular shows that the clothes themselves were overshadowed.
That was the case with Chanel, which created a vast pop-up fantasy Paris bistro patronised by its chic models, as well as Kenzo, which programmed seven two-storey-high blocks to go scooting around in the middle of the runway in a technological ballet.
Stella McCartney took over Paris's imperiously ornate Opera Garnier building to send her collection down a multi-room runway past the eyes of her famous father, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, and US actor Woody Harrelson.
And Vivienne Westwood, the British queen of punk, presented a high-decibel anarchic band playing over a collection that had men in womenswear and vice-versa strutting through a demented disco setting.
- Bleach unleashed -
Blond is the new black. At least it is according to reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who swapped her long dark tresses for a platinum look that divided her legion of Twitter fans.
Kardashian wasn't the only one with blond ambition. Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto turned up to a show with his formerly long brown hair cut short and also bleached white.
Leto's reason was professional however: his new look is to play The Joker in an upcoming movie, "Suicide Squad", about supervillains on a dangerous mission for redemption.
- Zoolander's back -
Hollywood also took over the Valentino show, making the fashion world go wild when two of its parody icons, Derek Zoolander and Hansel, took to the runway.
Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, playing the characters from their 2001 movie "Zoolander", sparked a roar of laughter when they appeared, with Stiller flashing Zoolander's famous "Blue Steel" model gaze at the lenses.
The surprise stunt was to promote the "Zoolander" sequel due out early next year.
- Making music -
Soundtracks are a big part of the fashion shows.
A couple of labels brought in live bands to accompany the strutting models. That was the case of Vivienne Westwood, with her raucous band, and Kenzo, which tapped British indie-pop group Saint Etienne to play.
Away from the shows, but linked to them, Kanye West -- Kardashian's rapper husband who was ubiquitous in the various front rows -- performed four charity concerts.
- Oranges and yellows -
For the magazine editors and buyers, the focus was necessarily on the clothes, and there a few general tendencies could be spotted.
There was the inevitable 1970s and 1980s retro inspiration and military-style coats that have been doing the circuit the past couple of seasons.
But autumn and winter will apparently also see some strong oranges, yellows and pinks breaking up the black uniform usually deployed for that season.
Furs could also be more prominent, with real ones highlighted by Hermes, Saint Laurent and Sonia Rykiel, and convincing fake ones from vegan Stella McCartney.
And then there are overly long sleeves seen in a few of the shows, which lengthen the silhouette of the outfits but also swallow up the hands to leave cuffs trailing in the air.