From Classical to Cubist, haute couture gets an artistic makeover from Valentino and Viktor & Rolf

The house of Valentino provided a fashionable history of art lesson in Paris on Wednesday night, as it showcased its Spring 2016 haute couture collection.

Art, as ever, was also the starting point for the Dutch pioneers Viktor & Rolf, whose all white collection was an exercise in Cubism. The design duo's work has always been guaranteed to spark debate, and their towering sculptural dresses composed of distorted 3D facial features and gigantic ruffles bore more than a passing resemblance to the works of Magritte and Picasso. In many cases the models were mere vehicles used to exhibit the pieces, their faces completely hidden behind the colossal façades of the designs. Simple black ankle boots allowed the construction to do the talking.