End of the road

Paris draws to a close and the shows are done and dusted for another six months

Phew! Well, that's the shows done for another six months. With the suitcase unpacked (well, kind of, it's zipped up and hidden in the basement and I certainly don't plan on wearing anything inside for at least three months), I headed home to my parents to recover for the weekend, planning on a total fashion detox.

That was the plan at least, except, despite the glorious weather outside, I managed to spend three hours on Saturday in front of the computer trying to find the perfect dress for my boyfriend's brother's wedding in three weeks time.

The problem? When you've just spent four weeks seeing the crème de la crème of high fashion inspiration being trotted out on the catwalks, everything else looks a little too bland.

My Paris Fashion Week highlights…

The best shows: YSL, Lanvin and Stella McCartney

The most controversial designer: People either loved or hated Alexander McQueen's weird and wonderful collection, with its feathered dresses, porn-star make-up and cracked glass catwalk.

The best celebrity spot: Spoilt for choice as we were, what with Beth Ditto, Lily Allen, Claudia Schiffer and Milla Jovovich all in town for the shows, Kate Moss at Chanel was the only one who actually caused an out-and-out fist fight amongst the assembled paparazzi.

The big trends: The vogue for all things Eighties hasn't disappeared, but a softer, far more accessible Forties silhouette also made a play for the limelight in Paris. Meanwhile, with Russia's oligarchs currently taking over media land in the UK, it perhaps shouldn't be a surprise the country is also dictating the world of fashion, too, with Kenzo, John Galliano and Giambattista Valli all inspired by the Motherland.

Front row fashion: Last season's Balmain collection was the wardrobe of choice for Europe's editors-in-chief, leading to some rather comical encounters as all those exaggerated shoulder shapes jostled for space on the front row.