Paris Fashion Week, the Pièce de résistance in global fashion, is currently running until Oct. 6. With so many legendary fashion houses showing in France this week, be sure to check back with Haute Style for more coverage of these magnificent collections.

Christian Dior

In a glamorous homage to pinup girls and sailor chic, Dior designer John Galliano played with the emerging trend of menswear, pairing sailor pants with casual jackets and short flirty dresses with playful naval caps before moving onto his spectacular full gowns in a bevy of tropical colors, embroideries and light flowing fabric. There was plenty of inspiration from the house of Christian Dior.

Balenciaga

Nicolas Ghesquière explored identity and individuality in his newest collection, which were unified by a feel of boyish sexiness. There were leathers mixed with tailored dresses, which pitted an urban toughness against a loosened-up silhouette. Overall it felt androgynous and yet oddly sexy. There was a lot of experimentation with fabric treatments — coated, lacquered and embroidered with PVC — that nicely blended technology with Ghesquière’s vision or re-inventing men’s wear for women.

Lanvin

Alber Elbaz’s latest collection for Lanvin found a beautiful balance of chic and common sense, something that busy City women covet. “The whole idea of fashion is to make women fly and to make women beautiful, and to make women glamorous,” Elbaz said before his show. “This is the story of the collection.” Indeed, Elbaz spoke to the urban, strong, glamorous, on-the-go women who can effortlessly feel an affinity to his designs. It was an excellent collection, from his three-piece suits to his tight stretch dresses.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier’s spring show was lead by Gossip lead singer Beth Ditto hitting the runway, followed by an army of diverse models adorning Joan Jett wigs while strutting to her songs with a rock ‘n’ roll attitude. This was indeed fitting, as Gaultier continued to set himself apart as a designer, exploring a multitude of looks from showgirl lingerie, jumpsuits, capes, palm-print dresses, leather biker jackets, squared shoulder jackets to his fabulous trench coats, that would be an incredible investment for anyone.

Celine

Designer Phoebe Philo continued to create her modern minimalist identity for Celine. Though her collection again felt modern in a cool, confident and controlled manor, she did relax her lines with wider pants, flowing hems, and lack of structured jackets, favoring instead ponchos and tunics. With her clean ivory palette, the sporty and sharp appearance of Celine set a distinctive tone for summer, that will continue to make this design house an innovative leader under Philo’s direction.

For more of Carrie Mitchell’s style insights, visit StyleGroove.com and Fashionexpedition.org.