Paris Plays It Safe

John Galliano was predictably unpredictable at Christian Dior; Julien Macdonald went back to basics at Givenchy; Karl Lagerfeld played with pretty at Chanel; and Donatella Versace retreated to the Versace boutique. At a time when the world's economy is shaky at best, the designers at the haute couture shows in Paris last week took no risks. They each did what was expected of them — even if that meant the unexpected.

This time Galliano, Dior's designer, travelled to Asia, bringing back giant kimonos, hats that looked like ancient buildings, and two troupes of Chinese acrobats. The effect nearly made up for the show's two-hour delay. The audience gasped and clapped — and ducked when the kung fu troupe began swinging nunchakus. But to really see the clothes, the ladies who shop will also have to travel — to the Dior showroom where the delicate chiffon and silk dresses can be seen unencumbered by layers of brocade or acres of tulle.

The clothes at Chanel are never mysterious. From the first look (a little navy jacket worn with trademark costume jewelry) to the last (a fluffy variation on the little black dress), Lagerfeld showed stylish, pretty clothes designed to do one thing: sell. Yes, sell. Valentino manages to move more than a few haute couture dresses, too — even in these dark days. This spring the socialites who flock to his showroom will likely walk away with a couple of little white suits, while the celebrities will fight for the floral dress with flowing scarves coming off the back. Meanwhile, Emanuel Ungaro went with Belle Epoque elegance, but added a dash of pop fun with sequined lips, a la the Rolling Stones.

Jean Paul Gaultier has firmly established himself as the smartest talent of his generation. His clothes inevitably exhibit the whimsy and ideas of a Dior show with the wearability of Chanel. This season the favorites were the shirts and suit jackets, which came strapped to the front of the models. Quirky? Sure. But for $10,000, is intelligent fashion too much to ask for? The only question is why he and partner Hermès aren't smart enough to capitalize on his talent. A line of Gaultier bags and shoes would surely work.

Irish milliner Philip Treacy also showed in Paris, the first hat maker to do so in over 80 years. He used the chance to promote a new department-store line of Warhol hats, which, while quirky and conceptual, lack the beauty of his earlier designs. But in times like these, a line in the store is worth two on the runway.