The label has been on a roll, both on the red carpet and among women who actually buy outfits and don’t just borrow them. You just had to look at the front row of clients clad in head-to-toe Schiaparelli at the autumn/winter 2023-2024 show.

This season, Roseberry created an “impossible wardrobe” of extravagant separates that also included two of the best skirt suits seen in Paris during the couture shows: one embroidered with golden painted wooden beads and another with broken pieces of mirror.

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2. Chanel

Is there any wonder that women around the world dreaming of Parisian haute couture flock to the house that is perhaps most associated with this rarefied form of dressmaking, Chanel?

This lovely celebration of the ever-alluring Parisian woman saw models – one of them nonchalantly walking a dog – clad in long overcoats, diaphanous blouses, tweed skirts and chiffon dresses. Two-tone Mary Jane shoes and romantic fruit baskets brought couture into the real world in an effortless way.

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3. Balenciaga

That wide range also reflects the designer’s output, which runs the gamut from headline-grabbing, often viral streetwear pieces to refined creations that hark back to the austere and exacting approach to design of house founder Cristóbal Balenciaga.

Scored to the unmistakable voice of opera singer Maria Callas, the show opened with a black dress modelled by one of Cristóbal’s favourite models, Danielle Slavik, and inspired by one worn by Grace Kelly in the 60s.

Trompe l’oeil fur coats, structured outerwear and the chicest evening wear we’ve seen this season made this “tribute to perfection” another successful chapter in Demna’s commitment and devotion to the craft of dressmaking.

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4. Dior

While the line-up may have felt a bit monotonous at times, it was a true celebration of timeless beauty and female grace. Inspired by the work of artist Marta Roberti, who worked on the set of the show, Chiuri’s creations also evoked garments of ancient Rome: the tunic, the peplum, the stole and the cape.

Chiuri has been celebrating femininity – and feminism – at Dior since her very first day at the house and this time she scored again with this poetic ode to modern-day goddesses.

5. Valentino

A fellow editor attending the Valentino’s autumn/winter 2023-2024 haute couture show couldn’t help but wonder at the sheer number of looks that made up the collection and how each and every one of them was a stunning mini tableau.

The Rome-based brand held its show at the Chateau de Chantilly, a 90-minute drive from Paris. While the fairy-tale setting is likely to conjure up memories of lavish gowns and royal attire, this collection was the definition of 21st century couture.

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Creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli is a true modern-day couturier. Shown on a very diverse range of models and featuring the best colour pairings we’ve seen this season, the collection opened with model Kaia Gerber wearing a white blouse with a pair of denim trousers and flat shoes.

This seemingly pedestrian and powerful gesture epitomises Piccioli’s precious yet relevant approach to this centuries-old art form. Thanks to creators like him, haute couture stays relevant by celebrating unparalleled beauty in all its forms and shapes.