
Modern is a word that is rarely emphasised in the high and haughty world of the Paris Couture - a bi-annual fashion extravaganza where adjectives like elaborate, fantastical and extreme tend to fit more comfortably into the vocabulary. An adventure in fashion finery, the couture shows are renowned for their unique ability to push our imaginations (and pocket books) to the limit - even if these one-of-a-kind creations will only ever be worn by a very privileged few. That said, change was certainly afoot this A/W season with many of the most prominent houses presenting collections that centred around a couture interpretation of everyday clothing archetypes. For starters both Mr Armani at Armani Privé (left) and Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel (right) opened their shows with a series of shorts