Flowers dominant the catwalks of Paris Haute Couture Week

Following the days of menswear fashion shows in Paris, haute couture collections took the catwalks from Tuesday to Thursday. Despite the event's overall extravaganza, the number of visitors attending the shows was less than the previous edition. Hotels in the area reported a 9 percent decline in guests during Paris Fashion Week, which was most likely due to the recent attack on satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, last month.

Only 14 selected labels have the privilege to state they produce haute couture. In Paris, the title haute couture is legally protected and subject to strict criteria. Fashion designers may only call themselves haute couturiers if they have been a guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture - the institute which appoints designers haute couturiers - for five years and if the members of the institute all agree.

The most recent name to be added to the list of haute couturiers is Alexandre Vauthier, who names artists such as Beyonce and Rihanna among his clients. A number of designers have also been invited to show during haute couture week on a temporary basis, including the likes of Versace, Valentino, Viktor & Rolf, Yiqing Yin and Schiaparelli.

Escapism and flower power spotted at Haute Couture week

During haute couture week, designers seemed to have been channeling a feeling of lightness. That sentiment, imagination and optimism will undoubtedly trickle down the fashion link to the fast-fashion chain and ordinary consumers. Flowers played a major role during Haute Couture Week, especially in Chanel's show, where mechanical flowers 'blossomed' in the middle of the circular catwalk.

Then there was Naomi Campbell, who walked the catwalk wearing an ensemble which resembled a full bouquet during the end of the wedding parade during Jean Paul Gaultier show. The French designer previously announced last year that he would stop working on this prêt-à-porter line in order to turn his full attention to his haute couture collections.

Italian fashion house Versace kicked off the start of haute couture week, with actresses and mother-daughter duo Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson attending the event, which saw a series of models present form fitting outfits in vivid blues, reds and whites.

"I was always thinking of the future for so many years and I was always anti-romanticising the past, but the past can be beautiful too," said Raf Simons, creative director at Dior to AFP backstage after the show. For the fashion house's summer collection, he created fluorescent orange boots and tight catsuits with flower-power patterns which were presented by models who descended from a space-opera created in the gardens of the Musée Rodin in Paris.

'Wilder' and 'more sensual' looks seen on the catwalks of Haute Couture week

According to the designer himself, the garments represent the romance of the fifties, with the experimental side of the sixties and the freedom of the seventies. He wanted to create something that wilder, more sensual, more strange and certainly more liberating for the realm of haute couture for women.

Karl Lagerfeld, thought that the world, in particular the capital of France, could benefit from some lightness and humor, following the tragic event on January 7. For Chanel's show, he transformed the Grand Palais into a magical garden with giant white tropical flowers made from origami, palm trees and banana leaves. The show opened with gardeners, carrying padded watering cans to water the plants.

Every outfit could been seen as flowering plant, which opened during the show's finale and came to full bloom. The fashion house presented tweed jackets with flowers and suits in a series of pastel shades. There were also a number of long chiffon blouses, which were worn over midi skirts and cropped tops.

Viktor & Rolf inspired by Vincent Van Gogh

Viktor & Rolf also embraced flowers on the catwalk. Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren from Geldrop were inspired by the painter Vincent van Gogh, which led to straw hats and slippers making their way into the collection. The duo also teamed up with fabrics company Vlisco, who produced the fabrics used.

Shakespeare, Dante and Marc Chagell were the inspirational sources for the haute couture summer collection '15 from Valentino, which translate to velvet, embroidery and floaty fabrics. There was also a strong Russian folklore theme throughout the collection, seen in the use of traditional fabrics, vests and pinafore dresses. Valentino also presented corsets,both transparent models as well as silk and lace models.

One name was absent from the schedule - Maison Margiela. The fashion house, now under the creative direction of John Galliano, presented its collection earlier last month in London rather than Paris. A decision which, as it often happens, may led to Maison Margiela losing its status of haute couture. By Yasmine Esser, translated by Vivian Hendriksz