I suppose one of the big questions on everyone minds as regards the Paris shows was, what will Nicolas Ghesquiere do for Spring/Summer 08? Well, the answer is...put out about 30 variations of the same shape, just vary the fabric...each escapee from a furniture fabric shop being even more horrendous from the last...add some overemphasized darts and stitching...and shoulders, that are quite literally, blossoming out...

I’m really shocked. This isn’t inventive or pushing the boundaries...it’s just ugly. And with the stratospheric pricing at Balenciaga, this is expensive ugly. According to Cathy Horyn, from the NY Times, this collection is “a strong fashion statement. It is what designers of Ghesquiere’s caliber are supposed to do — push our imaginations with the techniques and materials available to them.” Is that really what this is doing, or is it a case of the Emperor’s new clothes?

I’m now going to go and sit in a darkened room and remove these images from my head...which is easier said than done as they will probably feature prominently in every magazine for the next few months.