The runway – albeit over 400m long – was a simple salon setting with front-row-only seating. The clothes and accessories were just as pared back by Karl Lagerfeld standards: timeless sportswear separates including tees and button-down sweaters worn off-shoulder and backwards; fluttery all-occasion skirts in fail-proof black, white or gold; smart tailored skirt suits with a masculine edge. In short, pieces at once fundamental yet beautiful.

Loewe’s got one; Dries van Noten’s got one; label-of-the-moment Vetement’s got plenty, some of which are too profane to share here yet utterly delightful. Anyone into fashion is going to want one (or many) for the mix of novelty, designer cache and – in some cases – the so-retro-ugly-it’s-awesome factor, myself included.

Dries van Noten

It’s blunt, a little awkward (so it won’t matter however messy it gets), and exudes the perfect mix of French chic, indie cool and guileless charm. Redhead model Katie Moore’s gets my pick for its wild choppiness, but more classic versions as seen on the runway of Rochas are equally charismatic.

Rochas

See: Our picks of hair trends from Fashion Week Fall Winter 2016

Okay, so maybe leggings were hardly – should never have been – cool. With their athletic association, they shouldn’t even be considered fashion. But Phoebe Philo layered them under sinuous tank dresses, oversized shirt dresses and cocktail-appropriate gowns, then completed this ultra modern take on leisure dressing with mannish sandals or pointy-toed pumps. It’s official: leggings are a “do” next season.

Brands from Dries van Noten (above) to Kenzo seemed to have taken a cue from the mystic wardrobe of covens and ’70s cults, and I love it. Sure, these lean, maxi dresses are probably man repellers, but they’re a one-piece solution to making a statement, while being extra comfy too.

Loewe

Kenzo

Fall Winter 2016 is hands down creative director Guillaume Henry’s most confident and best collection yet for the French fashion house since his appointment last January. Sticking to just a handful of signatures – the light turtleneck knit, the slip dress, the midi skirt or dresses with a daring thigh-grazing slit down the centre, the masculine oversized coat – he not only brought back, but emboldened the French womanliness the brand is synonymous with. Cue the satiny triangle bras with ultra skinny straps that showed through completely sheer blouses – guaranteed a hot ticket item.

In high shine metallic lace with a distinct ’20s vibe, these lingerie-style pieces were the standout in a somewhat eclectic collection and simply the prettiest I’ve seen since the underwear-as-outerwear look came back in Spring.

A choppy peroxide blonde makeover has not only transformed this doll-like Dutch model with large blue doe eyes and pert lips into one of the edgiest faces on the scene now – it’s also made her one of the hottest (here she is at Saint Laurent), and my favourite of the entire season.

At Chanel

At Lanvin

For other top model moments at Paris Fashion Week Fall Winter 2016, read editor Noelle’s Loh ode to the supermodel resurgence

In the two years that he’s been on board, creative director Alessandro Dell’Acqua has revived interest in this once-ailing label with a bold, irreverently pretty aesthetic, and his repertoire for Fall is his most ethereal. Smocks, slips and shirt dresses came in gossamer light, at times see-through floral silks; his love for ornamentation was replaced by girlish ruffles and jewel-toned velvets used to create languid pants and button-down shirts. There were undertones of Gucci’s vintage-loving nerd chic (the knee-high socks with sandals, the wallpaper prints) without losing the brand’s French femininity. Girls everywhere will find something to love.

Creative director Riccardo Tisci updates the garish, bold-shouldered jackets of the ’80s with slimmer lines and a military-meets-Egyptian influence. Yeah, they’re still “strong”, and consumers will most likely be divided on them. But from an editor’s point of view, there’s tons one can do with them. Can’t wait to feature them in our editorials next season.

Call it the Vetements effect. The almost Frankenstein proportion that the French label-of-the-moment has been championing popped up at labels from Kenzo to Dior to the other French label-of-the-moment Jacquemus (above). It’s an odd, even bizarre look; certainly not easy to pull; but the radicalness also makes it one of the most exciting trends of the season.

Dior

Kenzo

To learn how else Vetements’ frontman Demna Gvasalia is changing fashion, read about editor Noelle Loh’s picks from Balenciaga Fall Winter 2016.