Best looks from Day 1 of Paris Haute Couture Week

Paris Haute Couture Week kickstarted with Schiaparelli's ground breaking show. Indian designer Rahul Mishra also presented his collection titled Cosmos on day 1. Have a look.

According to Dior, a series of coats, a take on bathrobe styles depicted “the cozy, intimate dressing room that precedes (Baker’s) entrance on stage.” In couture terms they were undeniably beautiful, if somewhat restrained. The first came in silk velvet; its black diamond lapels hung with a dramatic weight. It was worn over delicately smocked satin swimwear in a take on the 1950s. Elsewhere, knit-like mesh made of silk and steel beads cut a fine vintage style on one ensemble, while also evoking a quiet female power. It was worn on a gleaming, crushed velvet evening robe to suggest intimacy.

Spring was truly in the air at Giambattista Valli, whose powder pinks, canary yellows and pale turquoises mixed with the wafting floral perfume to crown this season gloriously. In this collection, the lauded Italian couturier lopped off elements of the classical wardrobe or else made unexpected takes on gowns. A regal ballgown that ballooned with voluminous whooshes, sleeves and train, was imagined shoulderless and revealed inches of leg. An exaggeratedly proportioned mermaid down flared out dramatically from the knee — ready for a spring wedding. It a nice disruption to the style, it was twinned with a stiff sleeveless crop top that revealed the midriff in a sporty way.

Carte Blanche is an ode to the ongoing resilience and strength of Iranian women and to the strength of women worldwide. The sensual narrative is a forceful composition that conveys the power of the female body and its ability to take ownership of her beauty to challenge the status quo.

Mishra brought interstellar-twist to hand embroideries with his new collection tited Cosmos. Each of his creation took around 3000 man hours to complete and the designer evoked maximalism through this grand showcase.

Designer Daniel Roseberry was on top form Monday — taking classical styles and giving them unexpected twists. A dark tuxedo with stiff oversize shoulders was transformed into a minimalist, space-age jumpsuit. A bronze bustier reimagined as a giant oyster shell rose up like a fan that obscured the model’s face. Its incredible pearl embellishments were rendered in organic, crystallized layers showing off the deftness of the house atelier.
Myriad embellished baubles — almost resembling wet pearls — organically dripped off a blown-up bolero jacket that cut a beautiful silhouette, and had perhaps belonged to some underwater princess. Yet the collection was also reverential to the house founder whose unique brand of frivolity charmed audiences around the world. A giant lion’s head — replete with fangs and bushy mane — modeled by Irina Shayk added a bite to this collection. It was an inventive nod to Surrealism, but also a statement about the absurdity of the use of fur.