WHEN COUTURE CHALLENGES AND PROVOKES

Blood-splattered dresses, limbs for a bridal tiara, Hello Kitty balloon skirts and a gown made of living organisms.

- RICKY TOLEDO & CHITO VIJANDRE

Definitely not the usual fare at an elegant maison's salon. And these were just some of the intriguing pieces at the recent Fall-Winter couture shows and the reason why the fashion flock troops to Paris to escape into an alternate universe where imagination is limitless, as is the time and expense to create what the most creative minds conjure.

Only the world's one percenters can do their shopping here but it has become accessible digitally to the rest who can dream and be inspired. Or be challenged to think about what's going on in the world and our place in it. The bottom line isn't really a concern of the houses as far as this segment of the business is concerned, relying instead on the prestige and publicity it creates, fueling demand for their prêt-à-porter, accessories and perfumes.

It's no wonder that celebrities from all over the world, including the Philippines' Pia Wurtzbach and Heart Evangelista, are dressed by the houses to attend the shows and pose for paparazzi in the streets of Paris. Asia is a huge market for luxury, after all, and designers from the region like Robert Wun and Rahul Mishra are included in the couture lineup together with the Parisian old guards of Balenciaga, Chanel and Schiaparelli.