PARIS–Often, a Yohji Yamamoto show is a serious discourse on the nature and the mechanics of fashion: cutting, draping, shapes and volumes. Sometimes it’s a complex illustration of fashion’s history. But at last night’s show, Mr. Yamamoto did none of that, even if there was a cage hoop skirt worn with a blood red wool and silk puffed sleeve coat, a red corset-wrapped dress, red hand-knit pantyhose, and red patent leather boots.

A long-sleeved, sheer chiffon, black and white eye pattern dress with a slide slit was worn over a layer of black fishnet and black combat boots. A white leaf-printed dress in black sheer chiffon was worn over white stockings. A black velvet coat was paired with a silk corset top, lace bodysuit, and a cut-out cage skirt. The rigid, circular frames of the skirt highlighted the juxtaposition of the hard and soft elements of this highly erotic collection, based on the notion of how a woman wears lingerie.

The hard-soft idea played out in the velvet fabric of a slit dress and a coat falling and draping over ridges of the cage skirt’s skeleton. There were several outstanding large lapel wool overcoats toward the end of the show for customers at the stores, but great too was the red and black multiple-layered chiffon and tulle dress with a red bra–a look uncharacteristic of the designer’s signature.

Fashionista contributor Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–The email invitation from the John Galliano’s office simply said that there would be a presentation between the hours of 5 and 6pm on Sunday afternoon at the posh Avenue Foch mansion. But fashion is always full of surprises, and upon arriving at said manor, the first floor along the corridors around the grand staircase was lined with café style tables and chairs. In the two main rooms were red velvet imperial style couches, marble statues, floral silk velvet cushions thrown here and there surrounded by potted flower plants, and several grand crystal chandeliers hanging low from the ceiling. Reduced in scale but not in temperament, Mr. Galliano would have been proud of the efforts his team has managed.

PARIS–”I was not inspired at all at the beginning,” said Caroline Seikaly before her fall 2011 “showtation.” The Lebanese-American designer, whose resume includes a degree from RISD and stints with Isaac Mizrahi and Karl Lagerfeld had a baby the day after she showed her last collection. “So I was baby, baby, baby and I just got blocked,” she said.

She ended up finding inspiration in her immediate environment: the Hedi Slimane men’s pants she likes to wear and the music she was listening to–Brandon Flowers, Vanessa Paradis and David Bowie (hence the title of her collection, “Star Dust”). As a result, Seikaly’s fall collection has a menswear, 70s, Studio 54 vibe.

PARIS–Confession: I didn’t see Pedro Lourenço‘s show in person. Chalk it up to being a Paris Fashion Week rookie–I took the metro to the wrong venue and then got slammed in horrible traffic when I tried to take a taxi to the correct location (thinking a cab would be faster–I was wrong). As I pulled up to the Ecole Des Beaux Arts I saw Susie Lau leaving. “I missed it!?” I yelled stepping out of my cab. “Yeah, sorry,” she said, looking actually a little sorry for me, because, she added, “It was really an amazing show.”

I was disappointed to have missed Pedro Lourenço’s fall collection as I wanted to see the boy wonder who wowed the critics last season in Paris in action (though I guess he’s not a teenager anymore, having just turned 20). Last season his collection was all leather–intricate work that was impressive to see but perhaps not as practical to buy and to wear. Lauren predicted this season Lourenço would veer more commercial–and he did. He dropped the leather obsession and went softer, using wool and fur on primary colored long sleeved dresses, skinny pants and knit tops, all done in mod-ish patterns. Looking at the photos, I’m even more peeved I missed the show. Tant pis.