Paris Frill Seekers

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And what Ghesquière and his contemporaries have found is a new kind of modesty and romance. His play on proportions--a corset-tight jacket over frothy pajama pants or a stick-straight pantsuit with a cascade of ruffles at the neck--has its roots in the Balenciaga archives, while also reeking of street-savvy rocker chick. "What looks new to me is the baroque, but just a brush of it," Ghesquière said backstage. "I wanted to mix the severity of Balenciaga from the '60s with the lace and Spanish heritage of the house."

Theyskens, who is resuscitating the stuffy old French house Rochas, which has been more famous for perfume than clothing, set fashion on a more genteel course last season when he introduced a turn-of-the-century silhouette with floor-length skirts and short, fitted jackets. This season he continued along those lines but added to the mix soft silk pantsuits that looked completely modern.

"It's like a Monet painting," says the stylist L'Wren Scott, who dresses such celebrities as Nicole Kidman. "Subtle, elegant and poetic. The clothes make me want to wear a long skirt and run through the Tuileries Gardens."

Even John Galliano, known for his runway theatrics, toned it down with an almost all-nude-colored Christian Dior collection of wispy dresses overlaid with black lace. The inspiration could have been one of the Klimt nudes on display in the newly restored Grand Palais where he presented his show.

Turning things upside down is de rigueur for the Dutch duo Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, of Viktor & Rolf, who showed their collection backward and upside down, literally. There was a fake runway on the ceiling, and the models came out with dresses pinned hemside up. Even though the clothes, back in the showroom at least, are quite classical and romantic, the message is clear: time for something new.

In the past few seasons, fashion--even in this creative capital--has become an extravagantly commercial endeavor. Every-where you look there are $1,200 handbags with exotic gewgaws like padlocks or python patches or chain-link straps. There's nothing wrong with success, of course, but people can stay excited about handbags for only so long. Every now and then, designers need to send shock waves through the fashion system, if only just to keep its heart racing. And in Paris the real designers did just that.