On the last day of Paris Fashion Week, Louis Vuitton offered fetish fashion that was fit for filming. A women dressed as a chambermaid greeted visitors at the entrance to the tent that was sent up in the inner courtyard of the Louvre.

Traditionally corporate cultures in the success. The finest Italian tailors and shoemakers are in the hands of families with a long tradition in these trades. Companies such as Zegna, Kiton and Santoni live according to the patriarchal principle – and it is making them more successful than ever before. Purposefully, the petite woman with the silver highlights in her hair crosses the enchanting park and the gravel walks that have just been raked, and approaches a remote door in the garden wall, then she walks across a dusty gangway to reach a large roof terrace.

Paris’s fashion shows are still alive and well, but instead of the usual hyped up atmosphere the watchword this time around is less is more ... refined. In this vein, Dior and Armani are showing superb clothing. And sales are recovering slowly but surely.

An industry finds its forté. At the major fashion house shows, French couturiers celebrate the art of haute couture tailoring – and their vibrant creations with bright ideas show that this industry has a future.

Soft boots in a variety of styles, subtle colours and elegant lines – these are headline trends for the forthcoming winter season. And footwear will be sportier. Soft materials reveal natural styling for the new season’s collections. Rustic soles are a fashion hit: the hiker look even influences feminine heels and flats.

For the new season, ladies winter fashion favourites will be available in a wide variety of styles. Boots in various leg heights and fittings are the name of the game this autumn and winter.

Poet of Fabrics

Velvet, silk, lace: Lyon's textile museum exhibits the works of French Haute Couturier, Franck Sorbier. This magician among fashion artists creates extravagant defilés that are legendary. The exhibition presents the broad spectrum of his creative oeuvre from avantgarde to artisan traditions.