As the Paris menswear season ended and couture week opened, we checked out four widely differing fashion visions to tap into the style pulse among cognoscenti in the French fashion capital.

Women are increasingly making their mark in men's fashion, breaking through the "fabric ceiling" that has seen the industry dominated by men, attracted by a sector where some of the most radical changes are taking place.

Maison Margiela unveiled its new headquarters in Paris on Sunday night and talk about an upgrade. John Galliano celebrated the move with his latest collection – a deconstructed homage to the Queen of Punk, Jordan.

It all seemed so effortless in UNESCO this Saturday at Hermès, which made this rather menswear wonderful collection even more special. A great display by Véronique Nichanian, menswear creative director for 35 years.

Paris haute couture – the highest expression of fashion – opens Monday with a crammed calendar of bold face name brands and a score of young hopefuls in one of the most intriguing seasons in years. 

A dark top floor of a forgotten garage was the curiously ideal location of a sensational collection by Dries Van Noten inspired by the ideas of the great German explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.

Cosy chic at Lemaire, cosmic chic at Walter Van Beirendonck, horror chic at Louis-Gabriel Nouchi. There was something for everyone on the Paris runways on Wednesday, with well-defined worlds in each instance.

Grace Wales Bonner is a British designer of Afro-Caribbean origin, who has made a great success of her partnership with German brand Adidas. Yet her show on Tuesday night felt like a true Parisian fashion moment fashion.

Got to hand it to Jonathan Anderson, this was the most interesting show in Milan menswear this season. Not maybe the best collection, or best clothes, but the most stimulating intellectual exercise.

Loads of luxury, lovingly displayed in a great collection from Fendi, whose biggest star was the soundtrack, a brilliant performance by the father of disco, Giorgio Moroder. 

It felt one was back among grown-ups at the Prada menswear show, so exact was the tailoring, so savvy the urban uniforms, so clever the proportions in a first-rate display on a wet Sunday in Milan.

A tour de force in black from Dolce & Gabbana, and a splendidly steamy Sicilian take on sartorial chic from the design duo on a chilly Saturday in Milan.

Milan menswear was caught Friday between party animals on the prowl at DSquared2 and Billionaire indulgence -- Elon Musk-worthy in alligator blazers or double-face cashmere.

Aakriti Grover’s swimwear brand Flirtatious will celebrate its 10th anniversary by hosting a beach clean-up drive on Carter Road beach in Mumbai on January 14.

Some designers come to Pitti as a consecration, others as a discovery. But Jan Jan Van Essche came for his runway debut triumphing on Wednesday with a beautiful show staged in Renaissance splendor in Florence. 

Brunello Cucinelli, Italy’s fashion philosopher, has issued an open letter celebrating youth, timed for just before the Epiphany, the Christian feast that celebrates the three Magi kings first visit to the Infant Jesus.