Paris Couture AW 2012-13: Tuesday

Karl Lagerfeld titled his morning couture show for Chanel 'New Vintage', and throughout the collection throwbacks to Coco were fused with futuristic detailing. Elegant tweed suits in muted shades of mauve and pink were matched with sparkly lurex tights (the likes of which I hadn't seen since my primary school discos!) and shiny elbow-length fingerless gloves.

Karl's characteristic playful tone was evident throughout, notably in the pink pompom-embellished gown, and paired with that typical couture excess: tweed Chanel beanie hats, anyone? Amongst the bling there were some prim and proper elements: pretty loose bows, balloon sleeves, and the ubiquitous peter pan collar.

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The Armani Privé collection continued this idea of fusing the brand's heritage with futuristic twists. Here, Armani's signature elegant tailoring was to be found in slouchy trouser suits, but Philip Treacy's angular headwear added elements of futurism.

Armani's theme of contrast was found throughout the collection: fluid pastels were matched with inky blues and blacks, and soft black velvet with shiny and sparkly metallics. Armani fans will delight in the relaxed tailoring, but the romantic and embellished full-length gowns stole the show for me.

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Riccardo Tisci's collection for Givenchy was on another planet entirely. Although only ten outfits appeared (compared to Armani and Chanel's fifty plus), each item was created with such breathtaking detail that it was beyond difficult to select my favourite pieces. The collection reminded me in turn of the fierce female warriors and poised princesses of mythology and fantasy: tough, strong, and powerful.

You can see the pure talent and painstaking diligence that has gone into all these pieces: embroidery, dip-dying, beading, fringing and laser-cut leather all combine into something incredibly magical and theatrical. It will be interesting to see how and if the high street attempts to recreate such artisanal detailing.

Vogue