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In a poignant presentation that left nary a dry eye in the gilded salon of luxury titan Francois Pinault's Paris headquarters, Alexander Lee McQueen's final 16 works of art (of which 80 percent were completed prior to his death) were unveiled to members of the press. It was a sight that truly underscored just how high the late designer had scaled in the heights of couture accomplishment. The show notes were simple yet all-encompassing: "Each piece is unique, as was he."

And so began, those simple words, the beginning of finality at McQueen (the label has yet to reveal any significant design helm changes). The 16 showpieces that paraded slowly through were all cut "on the stand" by McQueen in the weeks before he took his suicide. Turning away from the Internet, he went completely counter to his digital-dazzler of a show last season, this time refocusing his efforts on the true art of hand craftsmanship. But even with that he took it up to the nth degree. Finding light and beauty in the art of the Dark Ages, McQueen's inspirations ranged from Byzantine art and Old Master paintings to the carvings of Grinling Gibbons, and each look was worn with a bronzed cap, some spiked with a Mohawk of gilded leaves like a Roman war helmet. Prints were woven onto fabrics that were first digitally captured.

The draping and cutting were simply stupendous beyond words. Poetic and emotional yet restrained and demure, a floor-length black gown was a standout. The skirt swept of couture satin caught in curtain folds at the hip and the bodice was paved in golden rococo swirls while the sleeves burst into three-dimensional embroideries for the "Avatar" age. The bandage-bound heads recalled, for some, the designer's rebellious background and his Asylum collection.

In the end, while a larger venue and an even larger audience could have paid respect to McQueen and his true rock star status, the intimate quarters allowed McQueen's spirit and poignancy to reign supreme.

Go to jump page for remaining images of all 16 looks.

Karl Lagerfeld likes to articulate his seasonal message through a theatrical setting. If the audience wasn't convinced of this winter's arctic riff from the polar bear invite and press kits on each seat, then the glacial 265-ton iceberg (specially imported from Sweden) standing 28 feet tall and abundance of faux fur in everything from coats to hot pants, certainly rammed home the message loud and clear. Cheekily put, this was arctic dressing for those concerned about the melting polar ice caps. Neat and schoolish, the arctic theme naturally meant an abundance of cozy outerwear including fur capes, tailored military tweed, a series of tight-fitting leather jackets with fur pelmets and floor-length fur coats for evening. The faux furs (Karl said he saved the real furs for Fendi, the other line he designs) that were central to the collection also arrived as all-over fur skirts, trousers, jackets and even micro shorts.

Knitwear was also a principle focus and key pieces included sweater dresses in rustic grey patchworks or super soft degradé angora, knitted knickerbockers, below-the-knee tube skirts and sweaters with oversized turtle necks. The house tweeds were, of course, everywhere and arrived in wide-leg all-in-ones, wool fringed skirt suits and dolly dresses. For evening, a plethora of textured white cocktail dresses with semi-sheer knit bodies elaborately decorated with tufted fur, organza floral appliqué, beaded embroideries or wool loops and strings. This being one of the world's top accessories houses, naturally shoes and bags took center stage. Yeti boots and furry ankle boots with Perspex heels resembling carved ice blocks, leather toe-capped tall tweed boots with clog rivets dominated the footwear while bags ran the gamut from signature tweed messenger bags to furry pochettes, snowball fur evening bag, signature chain-handled 2.55 bags (some decorated with Perspex ice cubes) and the must-have novelty hot-water bottle carriers.

Even with the largest YSL retrospective to date set to open in Paris, Stefano Pilati forged ahead on a path of his own trajectory, forgoing mining the house's archive directly and instead making only subtle references to the master's 70s heyday. "Nun chic" was how many described the collection at quite glance--indeed, it was covered and protective--but these were no convent clothes. Pilati, in his show notes, referenced "A new tailored sportswear" and "A classic Parisian bourgeois sensibility." Capes in all its manifestations, from outerwear to see-through PVC overlays (not to mention caped collars, caped-sleeve dresses and caped sleeves on the strict three-piece pantsuit tailleurs), manifested themselves simply everywhere. Skirt lengths nodded towards the emerging trend for the mid-calf silhouette and the current mood for pantsuits. Blouses were the key layering piece, worn as roll-collar tunic tops with a gathered yoke. A strict palette of black on black, with white and grey offset with signature YSL brights (fuchsia, cobalt, jade and daffodil yellow) kept the overall mood conservative.

Like no other designer, Jean Paul Gaultier loves a theme. But why stick to just one? For fall, Gaultier took his audience on a whirlwind tour of the globe, stealing cultural costumes and native references from here, there and everywhere. Call it a global melting pot if you will, but the haphazard layers worked in its own weird way what with the African wood-block prints and Japonesque blooms. Signature pieces and quintessential Gaultier tailoring--mannish pant suits, corsets, Breton-striped sweaters and reworked trench coats either cropped or featuring high-low dipped hems--were offset with eyelet-studded leather pants, track pants, tapered waders, harem pants, double-breasted tailored jackets and cheongsam-inspired pencil skirts. Accessories peppered the pieces throughout, including tribal collars, African turbans and Fair Isle over-the-knee socks.

Roland Mouret's response to the practical, daywear dressing emphasis of the season was to investigate hybrid clothes that can be worn a multitude of ways. The look was architectural daywear, balancing austerity with sensuality while avoiding a boring minimalist silhouette. No surprise Mouret tackled his forte--sophisticatedly body-conscious--with his signature square-cut drapes and folds. For fall, Mouret introduced two new transformable hybrid pieces: the "TTD," a tunic-top-dress and the "Carré," a top-cum-apron skirt. Other key items--mostly awash in hues like pebble and heathered greys, matt black, plum, lilac, bois de rose, magenta, ivory and peach--included wrap skirts, draped and pinched dresses, gilets, hooded jackets and capes, shirt dresses, cascade collared biker jackets, slinky jersey maxidresses and velvet stirrup leggings. The gathered silk jersey gowns featured form-enhancing fabrications such as power mesh, double crepe and stretch wools and silks. Silver fox and astrakhan upped the glam quotient with the occasional fur moments, but the real eye-catching element was the "hood" motif, which added an air of mystery to a stellar showing.

Nicolas Ghesquière may have pushed the boundaries with his extraordinary collection that spun fabrics and silhouettes into a new orbit in the fashion firmament, but the highly-wearable "futuristic couture" of his design (think short, square and boxy) will keep his fiercely loyal clientele happy straight into 2011. This was a collection all about texture, worked into the simplest and, according to Ghesquière, "domestic" shapes--hip-length round-shouldered jackets, short angled wrap skirts, cropped hint-of-a-flare trousers and knitted leggings, boxy shifts and pinafores, padded tops and sculpted knits.

The season's core color palette consisted of camel, grey, black and winter white--offset with a quirky mix of 50s-style pastels, hyacinth blue, peppermint green, apricot, peach and a dash of cobalt blue. What's more, however, was that Ghesquière so masterfully tackles fabrics. For fall, quite honestly, they defied description with their play on matte versus shine, plush against plastic, airy perforations against faux lace, bonded knits against metallic leather--all sculpted into flat angles and planes like futuristic armor. As it turns out, Ghesquière coupled paper, cardboard and aluminum paper with silk and cashmere to create his thick, squishy layers that were sculpted into simple silhouettes.

A jagged leaf-like motif and a vividly colored newspaper print--laminated and perforated and printed with words and slogans in French and English--were the two prints in the collection, while geometric angles, flat planes and mismatched fabrics and bound edges abound. Lest we digress, the shoes were c'est magnifique! Ghesquière has breathed new life into the nerdy-chic loafer, delivering a stellar--and already highly coveted--stacked-heel croc version constructed of layered cubes, angular Formica and resin heels which were stunningly backlit thanks to a specially installed runway inspired by the set of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Simply put: it's amazing what the right designer can do for a once staid brand. Phoebe Philo read the mood of the moment and presented a perfectly judged collection of simple wardrobe pieces, full of covetable no-nonsense outerwear and go-anywhere separates. There were no frills or fripperies--just well-designed clothes that any woman--particularly those in professional capacities--will want to wear. Philo's look for Celine is morphing into the genre of timeless fashion, and there's nothing with keeping things simple and straightforward--as long as they're done masterfully. With a stable palette of hues (navy, black, camel, grey and winter white), outerwear proved to be the strong suit from Philo, with effortlessly simple lean-but-boxy coats and jackets with funnel necks and subtle asymmetric fastenings--all in no nonsense luxe fabrics from cashmere coatweights to bouclé and shearling, glossy leathers and silk crepe de chine.

It's no surprise that she showed at the Tennis Club de Paris, the same venue Helmut Lang used upon his return to Paris from New York, when one considers Philo's eye for clean, simple shapes. Trenchcoats came in glossy luxe leather and the season's hot item, the cape, in covetable winter white shearling. Separates also featured strongly with simple loner-line wrap skirts and the perfect ankle-skimming cigarette pant teamed with leather tanks and tees or classic white blouses. Knits had a casual appeal with forgiving and wearable tunic shapes or fine-gauge polo necks, and for evening the ultimate LBD came in matt-shine black with glossy paillette trim. Subtle details abound, including contrast facing, leather pockets and edging and gold buttons while accessories were spare and minimal: high-heeled loafers and ankle straps, as well as elegant knee-high riding boots paired with simple notecases and no-nonsense clutches.

Mannequin-like faces and uniform wigs seemed to contradict Alber Elbaz's idea of "the many faces of womanhood" as his fall inspiration, but as soon as the first look stormed out onto the runway, it was clear the woman he was talking about was the kind who wore the clothes--and not the other way around. By essentially making his woman faceless, he allowed every woman to channel their inner power--be it boardroom dominatrix or matriarch of Africa. It was all power to the shoulder, blended with hourglass shaping and the soft drape of the toga dress Elbaz has masterfully conquered over the seasons. Tailoring was a strong suit in this collection with powerful shoulder-lines and waist-whittling jackets, while coats were architecturally simple. Short skirts and hip-hugging dresses added to the don't-mess-with-me appeal. The fur chubby coat added a sense of lightweight volume, while the sporty blouson and after-six dresses came with a myriad engineered pleats, tribal fringing and embroideries. Equally appealing was the color palette--rich deep and dark, with inky blues, charcoal and aubergines offset with a flash of red, intense poison greens and burnished bronzed metallics. The fabrics reiterated the collection's contrasting moods with matt felted wools working for sculpted silhouettes, offset with pleated lamé and crepe, seductive lace and marabou nicely balanced against tribal patterns through embroidery and beading rather than print. This being Lanvin, details and trims were key: bristling, short and stuff feathered fringes, tribal beading and embroidery, follow-me back zips, engineered ruching, heavy, geometric jewelry pleating and drapes were the hallmarks of this stellar collection.

A diving enthusiast himself, Riccardo Tisci looked to the sports world for inspiration this season, drawing on ski and scuba for reference. Mixing masculine and feminine, the colors referenced Bauhaus but with clean and simple results unique to Riccardo Tisci. Tailored and body-conscious silhouettes were the name of the game with Tisci's sports redux collection: all the signature components of his aesthetic were evident, including sharp tailoring with a masculine edge, gothic lace worked this season into slip dresses, and marabou worked for two organza T-shirts with feathered chests. Slim-cut pants and short skirts featured zippered waists that were folded back, while Alpine knitted sweaters were reworked into second-skin tanks (again with the folded details). Outerwear, in subtle Skandi patterns including snowflakes and Fair Isle border patterns, flipped between the cropped biker derivatives trimmed with broadtail and the bonded satin parkas with large collars. For evening, there were high-necked lace blouses trimmed with tight ruffles across the yoke and tabard dresses cutaway at the side and paneled in fine lace. Tisci kept his color palette simple: a base note of black was punctuated with flashes of scarlet, cream and sage green while neoprene, second-skin knits, fine lace, velvet, bonded satin, marabou, super-fine organza, wool, broadtail and smooth leathers completed the textures.

In the Balmain world, the Eighties are a constant fixture--made all the more this season by the show's opening score: 1984's "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince. Christophe Decarnin showed he still has the Midas touch with a sparkling collection of historically inspired short body-conscious looks and slick pantsuit dressing that channeled his love affair with regal rock 'n' rollers. The signature sexy silhouette, a standout in a season marked by a return to heritage dressing, saw the frock coat replace the military jacket, albeit still coupled with the super-skinny jeans. Gold, silver, black, regal purple (for "Purple Rain" anybody?) and a single shot of red dominated much of the garments, where dresses were thigh-high but the Balmain exaggerated shoulder was slightly softened this season. The pantsuit, tie-neck blouses and elongated 70s pant shapes threw a nod to the season's emerging trends while long slashed-to-the-thigh floor-sweeping gowns for evening. Leopard prints? Naturally. All in all, it was a glittery affair--from the molten metallic leathers to the myriad of sequins and gold pinstripes offset with rococo brocade, chiffon and fur. Ineed, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.