a little turn on the catwalk

Checkmate. For Louis Vuitton's Spring 2013 collection, Marc Jacobs took the house's iconic damier check, blew it up, and applied it to, well, everything. The models appeared on one of four escalators whose stairs were decorated with white and yellow stripes and walked onto a floor decorated with the check pattern.

The clothing, done in shades of yellow, green, brown, black, and white, were similarly checked. A large version of the yellow and white damier appeared on the first long-skirted suit that came down the runway, then got smaller in the black-and-white bralette top and maxi skirt that came after it. As if to underscore the duality of the print (or at least the colors in it), Jacobs sent his models down the runway in pairs, with each pair wearing coordinating looks.

All the models in this show wore bows in their hair, and nearly all of them carried bags in the damier check. The styling and feeling was slightly '60s, but the rounded shoulders on jackets and shirts felt modern — and so did the inclusion of lots of different skirt lengths.

There was a dialogue between this collection and the Spring line for his namesake brand, which was heavy on stripes. This show, however, was cleaned up and a little more sophisticated — and all the bright yellow gave you an unavoidable sense of happiness.

Designers have found inspiration in stranger places than beehives, the contents of which gave Sarah Burton a direction for the Alexander McQueen Spring 2013 collection.

There were references to bees all over these clothes, from the beekeeper's hats the models wore down the runway to the honeycomb shaped lace Burton applied to those hats and a number of pieces in the collection. A number of garments — dresses, shirts, and jackets included — demonstrated a clever use of the wasp waist. When could it be more appropriate to revive this McQueen trope than in a collection inspired by bees?

Yes, the inspiration here came across literally, but the clothing certainly didn't suffer for it. Even the black and gold color palette that dominated the show came off as charming rather than thematic, especially in several suits made from a honeycomb jacquard. The final gowns here were dramatic as always, many of them accented by hoopskirts that were either layered on top or barely hidden by sheer fabrics or cloth flowers.

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccoli's Spring 2013 collection for Valentino was, as Valentino collections always are, a celebration of women of all kinds. Inspired by a recent exhibit of photographer Roman Arturo Ghergo — who photographed wealthy, famous women and women on the street with the same elevating eye, this collection aspired to make women look glamorous no matter what the occasion.

This meant A-line day dresses that were ladylike, but subscribed to the season's penchant of revealing sexy bits of skin by being stitched together with slightly open seams. Otherwise simple shift dresses were decorated with intricately details bib panels. There were the requisite sheer lace dresses here, too, notably in a wispy black material, but rendered with an elegance that is uniquely Valentino. A few beautiful, but simple, evening garments featured a narrow slit in the bodice. It's perhaps the most modest glimpse of skin we've seen all week.

Take futuristic touches, sporty cuts, and resort wear, fuse them all together, and you have Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's Spring 2013 collection. Bright colors and loud prints, including breezy palm trees, all screamed warm-weather getaway. Details like sharp ruffled shoulders, clear plastic jackets, and slit sunglasses all pointed to the future, while sporty jackets and vests with hoods and ribbed collars added variety to the funky mix. Lending a touch of edge were a few looks with black leather details. Green, yellow, and blue were the main punchy colors in this collection, with black, white, and beige mellowing things out.

Designer Agnes Trouble was all about ease and comfort for Spring 2013, but she never lost sight of that quintessential Parisian chic. The show started with models wearing flat oxfords with classic trench coats, berets, printed dresses, and leather dresses. Then all of a sudden the collection took a totally funky and mod turn with a printed jumpsuit. But alas, it was back to classics like a pleated skirt and suits in colors like black, white, and red. There were also sporty touches like relaxed trousers and hoodies, but the show ended with ethereal sheer dresses paired with white sneakers.

Under the wind turbine-adorned atrium of the great hall in the Grand Palais, Karl Lagerfeld offered up a Spring 2013 collection that felt pared-down, and modern — yet entirely rooted in the ethos of classic Chanel. Silhouettes were structured and full with an emphasis on rounded shoulders and wide sleeves on top and mid-thigh straight skirts, wide shorts, and super-slim trousers below. The house's signature tweeds were plenty present, but they came simply decorated with only a bit of contrast piping and nary a braided chain in sight. Adding to Lagerfeld's "neo Coco" theme were the innovative fabrics: appliqued floral "prints" had a three-dimensional effect and tech-knits came imprinted with a raised waffle grid. Later, that same grid motif appeared on pastel-hued silks and stiff organzas.

Accessories were eye-popping and fresh too. Choker necklaces and bracelets made from gobs of varying-sized pearls felt luxe yet cool, while the oversized hula hoop bags nearly stole the show.

Maiyet's seamless marriage of old world craftsmanship and modern luxury came in the form of lush jungle hues and breezy shapes inspired by the "rich indigenous culture and the vast natural wonders" of Peru for Spring 2013. Slip dresses, maxi skirts, and slouchy pants were loose and easy, while militaristic jackets, camp shirts, t-shirt dresses, and asymmetrical wrap skirts added structure. The collection's real stars, however, were the fabrics. Whether adorned with intricate monochrome embroidery or ever-so delicately perforated in lace-like swirls, they were not only dreamy but also expertly handled.

Hedi Slimane's much-anticipated debut collection for Saint Laurent was heavy on '70s rock and roll glamour, tinged with a little bit of darkness. Or, to be more accurate, a lot of darkness: most of the clothes the house's new creative director sent down the runway were black. And while the show contained veiled references to Yves Saint Laurent's work (a strong-shouldered take on Le Smoking, for example, was the first thing to come down the runway, and there were lots of tiered, sheer lace dresses, wide-brimmed hats, and even allusions to the safari-style clothing the founder called Saharienne), by and large, this collection was an exercise in Slimane doing things his way.

Take for example the slim tailored suiting and skinny trousers, hallmarks of Slimane's days designing menswear for Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. Then there were the references to his adopted home in California and its music scene. In suede fringe jackets, loopy bow ties, and generous fur coats, some of the models looked like they'd just performed at a concert and were getting back into their limos, ready to be whisked back to their hotels.

Speaking of concerts, the show was held in a darkened room and opened with the lights turning up — much the same way musicians are revealed on stage. And after a selection of the solid black looks, Slimane closed the show with sleek evening gowns in pale blue, red, teal, and a variety of other colors. It was, literally and figuratively, a bright way to end Slimane's first show for the brand.

With the glass ceiling of the big tent open to the Tuileries sky and the house packed right up to the rafters with the likes of Rachel Zoe, Giovanna Battaglia, and Bryan Boy, the atmosphere at the Chloé Spring 2013 show couldn't have been more upbeat. There was certainly plenty to celebrate: Not only does this year mark the 60th anniversary of the brand, but the collection that Claire Waight Keller sent down the runway was so lovely and fresh it can now be counted among one of her best.

Volume, ruffles, and light-as-air fabrics were the focus, but in a clean palette of white, black, apricot, ochre, and navy, the overall result was crisp rather than overwhelming. Tiered dresses in organza and tulle were sculpted into rounded shapes with curved hems, while oversized trousers and full bermuda shorts in tussah silk were controlled with artful pleating around the waist and hips. A sprinkling of flower cutouts — which decorated one full leg on a pair of pants as well as the front of a folded bubble mini skirt — added texture and whimsy, and the final series of ruffled dresses looked modern but utterly ethereal.

A distinctly minimalist bend gave Giambattista Valli's Spring 2013 collection a cleaner, more refined edge than clothing he's shown in past seasons — but his signature flair for decoration was still very present. Take, for example, the simple sheer white shift dress decorated with beaded vines and rectangular white flower petals, or the lace applied to a red cocktail dress. None of these embellishments looked heavy. In fact, they appeared light as air, and so did Valli's sharply tailored suiting and a variety of garments in a tweed-like gold fabric dotted with round rhinestones. This collection was pretty, and also pretty cleaned up.