From Bowie-mania to enchanted fairytales: Maison Margiela, Franck Sorbier and Elie Saab shine on the couture runways

If there's one thing Maison Margiela specializes in, it's putting on a show, and the couture house didn't disappoint in Paris Wednesday.

Under the guidance of star designer John Galliano, the Spring 2016 collection was a riot of influences, each bolder and brighter than the last. Things started off conventionally enough, with asymmetric jackets featuring tinsel-like collars, but soon there were trench coats that fluted out into pleated skirts, leather capes with aquatic scenes printed on the front, and billowing trains of pink and orange attached to the back of a simple black blazer. The makeup, which included lipstick prints all over the face and neck and zig-zagged eye patches, seemed to be an homage to the late David Bowie, who would almost certainly have approved of the glittering gold boots and metallic trousers on show, and indeed the entire collection channeled the zany creativity that both the musician and Galliano have in common.

Franck Sorbier also put on a spectacle, albeit more of a ballet-inspired one, with a runway show featuring models dancing their way through the city's Asian art haven, the Musée Guimet. Amidst the site's ancient statues, they weaved their way down the runway in off-the shoulder dresses in earthy nudes or golden tapestries. There were also Grecian influences at play in the roped and knotted sundresses, while the male models in gold-splashed leggings played into the astral theme.

Lebanese talent Elie Saab, meanwhile, weaved a sublime fairytale via his enchanted collection of ethereal dresses that were heavy on the lace yet looked light as a feather. Jewel-encrusted bolero jackets, silken wide-legged trousers and floor-skimming hemlines were the order of the day, with beaded fringing and crystal piping applied liberally and across the board. Based on a romantic palette of soft lilacs, taupes, creams and blues, the pieces were paired with metallic silver biker boots for a jolt of modernity, while belt bags ensured that the look remained acutely current, but the vintage-style flower crown headpieces kept things decidedly dreamy.