While some collections featured welcome shots of vibrant colour – think Valentino red, orange and fuchsia at Stella McCartney and bright green at Ungaro – most designers stuck to quieter shades. Blush tones (such as the pink seen here at Christian Dior) were out in force, as were taupes, pale greys, camel and ivory.
'We're not doing any interviews!" snapped the PR woman guarding Lindsay Lohan. Still, the mad crush of photographers, camera crews and reporters refused to go away until the security heavies shooed them from the weary, now raven-haired starlet. The beleaguered tabloid princess's presence at the fall ready-to-wear collections this week made for great side-show entertainment.
Of course, Lohan raised eyebrows last season when she was named creative director of the ailing house of Ungaro. This season, the actress was abruptly dropped by the label, but came to Paris anyway, sitting front row centre at every show she could with a kind of vengeful glee.
While it's hard to imagine what exactly does motivate Lohan, the actress's zeal for fashion is something many can relate to. And judging by the fall offerings in the City of Light, we're being encouraged to have it all - from sleek, modern minimalism to lush, layered exuberance.
Those craving a grand retro feel, for instance, can depend on Dior. Riffing on his equestrian-chic couture theme, John Galliano dished out libertine romance with pieces that ran the gamut from boudoir-inspired confections to cozy coats, riding jackets and boots.
Jean Paul Gaultier celebrated the spirit of travelling with a multicultural salute to exotica. His catwalk conjured visions of an ethnic bazaar, featuring signature trench coats and classic pea jackets thrown over Chinese silk prints and colourful pleated peasant skirts.
For Hermès, Gaultier pared things down considerably. Inspired by characters like The Avengers' Emma Peel, he presented powerful looks riffing on a secret agent theme.
Theatricality took precedence at Viktor and Rolf. Iconic early-nineties model Kristen McMenamy stood frozen on a revolving turntable in the middle of the huge runway as the Dutch designers undressed her layer by layer, placing each garment on a mobile model who would then parade it down the catwalk. Many of the garments magically morphed into different looks - like a cape turning into a coat - with the aid of zippers and drawstrings.
One of the most spectacular shows of the week was staged at the Grand Palais courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel. The theme was a stylish Arctic expedition complete with frozen icebergs imported from Sweden. Fur-trimmed tweed suits, sparkling knit dresses and mammoth shaggy coats sashayed across the shiny wet stage. But while real fur was flying on most runways, Lagerfeld went the PC route. "The faux furs are so much better now than they were a few years ago," he said.
One of the season's biggest stories is the minimalist resurgence - a backlash against the excessive eighties looks of the past few seasons. This sleek modernity came on especially strong at Celine, where designer Phoebe Philo's clean, sharp lines translated into chic, no-nonsense dressing. Stella McCartney's take on this new sophistication, meanwhile, gave new punch to grey and camel cashmere.
Yves Saint Laurent's long-time partner, Pierre Bergé, was taken with Riccardo Tisci's sporty elegance at Givenchy. Tisci's glam parkas fit right in with the themes of practicality and ease that ran through many of the week's collections.
The femme fatale wasn't forgotten, though: Both Valentino and Giambattista Valli offered feminine collections full of sleek, sexy ensembles.
The perfect retro romance, however, came courtesy of Louis Vuitton's Marc Jacobs.
The designer dressed his models in creations reminiscent of Dior's 1947 New Look - nipped waists and full skirts worn past the knee - as the wholesome sensuality of the early fifties made a welcome return. I would like to have heard what Lohan thought. But then again, she wasn't talking.
Jeanne Beker is the host
of FashionTelevision.