13-year-old Chicago blogger Tavi Gevinson is sporting a humongous pink, painted feather bow atop her sleek, silvery bob, and demurely posing for a photographer in the hallowed Grand Salon of Dior's Avenue Montaigne headquarters. Tavi, fashion's latest media darling, had stars in her eyes and was suitably reverential as she told me that her headpiece was designed by Dior's Stephen Jones, arguably one of the best high fashion milliners on the planet. For Tavi, receiving a coveted invitation from the Dior to this intimate couture presentation was a fantasy come true. And as the eclectic crowd slowly made its way into the four rose-scented salons atop the grand, winding staircase, even a seasoned veteran like me was momentarily swept away by the luxury of this legendary location, and the anticipation of the impending haute spectacle.

One room over, 87 year-old designer Pierre Cardin-Christian Dior's star assistant in the late '40s-marveled at how much the high fashion business had changed over the years. Throughout the late '40s and '50s, these elegant quarters were frequented by some of the most fashionable icons of the 20th century. It was in these plush rooms that Hollywood stars like Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich, socialites like Standard Oil heiress Millicent Rogers, and stylish royals, like the Duchess of Windsor and Princess Margaret shopped the house's exquisite collections.

Last October, for the spring ready-to-wear presentation, Dior designer John Galliano did away with large-scale theatrics, deciding that a return to intimacy was in order-perhaps a sign of the economic times. And so he presented his collection the old-fashioned way, giving us a great hit of nostalgia, and allowing us to see the meticulous detailing in his garments up close and personal.  It was a welcome move that he was intent on repeating for Dior's spring couture collection this past week. 

The sound of galloping horses heralded Galliano's posh parade of equestrian-inspired looks.  Trim riding jackets and long, elegant skirts perfect for riding side-saddle were both feminine and dramatic.  Silk satin dresses came in juxtaposing, captivating colours-olive, raspberry, sapphire, and magenta. And pastel shades were introduced via delicate embroidered tulle and lace confections, some covered in flower petals. Shirtwaist halter tops came on strong, and the voluminous structured ball gowns were arrestingly romantic in this glowing tribute to days gone by. Post-show, pop diva Kylie Minogue admitted she was drooling.  "So beautiful!" she gushed. 

Dior president Sidney Toledano said these small presentations suited the house for now, but couldn't promise it would be the shape of things to come.  I mentioned what a shame it was that one of couture's greatest designers, Christian Lacroix, was not showing a collection this season.  "It's very costly to create these collections," said Toledano.  "We can do it here at Dior because we have such a great infrastructure-our ateliers are actually located here, in this building.  But it's a very painstaking process, and you've got to be in great shape, business-wise, to pull it off." 

Over at the Trocadero, Giorgio Armani, who continues to rule his solid empire with confidence and panache, presented his Prive collection in the light of the silvery moon.  With a huge crescent as a backdrop, Armani's glistening ivory, black, and silver pieces had a futuristic vibe.  Moulded shoulders, sculptural jackets and dresses, and skinny pants oozed glam modernity, while voluminous sparkling tulle evening gowns were a throwback to a past era.. Tina Turner was wowed. "I loved it all-though I don't really have many red carpets to wear that kind of stuff to," she lamented.  "But hey.maybe I'll have to get married!" Not sure if the dashing man she was holding hands with was a candidate, but the two made a smashing pair. Among the other luminaries that came out to support Armani were two generations of actresses--Anne Hathaway and Claudia Cardinale, both die-hard fans. Armani, who's been troubled with health issues lately, looked tanned and much healthier than he'd appeared at Paris couture last summer.  We all breathed a sigh of relief:  With the number of legendary couturiers dwindling, we need this master more than ever.  And evidently, so does the red carpet crowd.

When it comes to wearability and desirability, Karl Lagerfeld usually manages to hit home runs, and this Chanel couture collection was no exception.  The Kaiser once again managed to create wide ranging looks that were at once distinctive-unmistakably Chanel-and revolutionary, with not a hint of black.  The lighthearted looks came at us like a magical stream of puff pastries, starting with cream, ivory and dove grey boucle suits, mostly featuring jaunty culottes, and trimmed with sparkling silver.  Then the pastel shades crept in, with intricately embroidered, frothy tulle and silk organza dresses, stitched and pleated to perfection, some like mille feuille desserts. And before you knew it, the fresh sorbet colours exploded. Silver was definitely the new gold here, with metallic silver stockings and  shoes anchoring the feather light looks.  "It felt like all these beautiful light clouds were coming toward me," reflected Chanel muse Anna Mouglalis.  "I loved the theatricality. Very Fellini-esque."  Karl, decked out in a lame suit and silver tie, felt the vision was futuristic, and took delight in the unabashed use of silver.  "Powerful and optimistic," he remarked. His artistry never felt so good, and the clothes more sumptuous and beautiful. 

"My message to women is that it's not really about the clothes at all. It's about confidence."  Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci is passionate when it comes to reaching women, and adamant about telling us that true happiness comes from believing in ourselves, not necessarily spending fortunes on fabulous clothes.  Still, he did manage to deliver a strong, tightly edited collection of dramatic creations aimed at those looking for a little edge in their haute fashion wardrobes.  The 33 year old Tisci, who's managed to resuscitate the once-ailing illustrious house of Givenchy in five short years, is couture's youngest creator, and it isn't any wonder that he's just anointed hip hop diva Ciara as his new muse.  "We met in Rio, at Fashion Rocks," the gorgeous pop star told me.  "His clothes are just so empowering." The Italian designer claims his muse is perfection personified.  "We simply fell in love," he said, though it's likely the relationship is strictly platonic.  Still, she's helped inspire untold passion in him, as evidenced by the dramatic, glistening looks he sent down the runway, many in eye-popping jewel tones, and all aimed at spirited women with plenty of confidence.  A pair of black feathered shorts provided a particular "wow".

But no one managed to titillate and charm this season as well as Jean Paul Gaultier, who chose a Mexican-theme, initially inspired by Mel Gibson's 2007 movie, Apocalypta.  "This isn't just about Mexico, but everything that came before it-the Mayans and the Aztecs and the Incas," Gaultier told me pre-show.  "And there's even some Avatar thrown in!" he laughed.  With the help of his singer friend Arielle Dombasle, who soulfully sang and strutted down the runway in a sizzling coral embroidered tulle gown, Gaultier put on one of the most entertaining shows of the week.  The clothes offered a mad mélange of vivid colours, lots of basket weave leather and fringes galore.  There was intricately embroidered denim, pant legs split up the sides that exploded into skirts, a cream and lavender caged corset dress, an aqua beaded gown gleaming with orange palm trees, fanciful sombreros and looks that ranged from gaucho to tribal. "There's a theatrical playfulness to a lot of the things he designs," noted Dita Von Tees. And former model Ines de la Fressange, a longtime Gaultier devotee, offered up the best compliment of all. "His clothes can be both wearable and wild," she enthused.

But wearability can be a touchy subject in the world of couture.  Certainly, these masterpieces deserve to be worn-and what woman would spend tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars on a garment she couldn't wear?  Still, it was hard to imagine some of the magnificent yet stiff and gargantuan fare we saw on couture runways ever making out into the real world. But couture is also meant to be a laboratory, where designers can experiment with new visions and new approaches.  And that's exactly what Valentino's Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli claimed to be doing-searching for a new way to seduce and dress "cool young girls".  While the label will always stand for a certain feminine esthetic, these two designers continue to bravely push its perimeters, and are now treading on brand new turf. The Valentino collection was light, airy, unstructured, and blatantly dreamy-some of the models actually wore gauze blindfolds-and showed off the incredible artistry of house's Roman ateliers in a variety of ways.  Embroideries, beadings, appliqués and feathers adorned easy-to-wear tunics, and short and long dresses, many ruffled, ruched or pleated, and fashioned out of mixed fabrications. Sheer organza leggings added to the romance, and colours were soft and upbeat-blush, coral, violet, lemon,  jade, and celestial blue.  The collection was a tribute to a woman's interior garden, a "Virtual Eden" as the programme stated, designed for escape, and dreaming.  "This is exactly the way I want to dress," insisted Russian-born model Natalia Vodianova. And it was just the testimony this house needed to prove that Valentino may be on the right track. If couture is to have a future, it's got to start catering to a new generation.  Too bad Tavi wasn't around to weigh in on this show. But her presence at many of the couture presentations this week, front row centre, was proof that designers are most eager to cultivate a new clientele, and please the new young guard, especially those globetrotters with money, and imagination.