Runway

Marc Jacobs must henceforth be known as the Good Boy of fashion. He eats healthily, exercises, and starts his shows promptly on time — after years of less-than-healthy living and severe tardiness.

For the record, his show for Louis Vuitton, scheduled for 2:30 today, started at 2:37 pm. Though technically seven minutes late, it is in reality at least 23 minutes early, according to the way most fashion-show attendees calculate their schedules. Hence guests scrambled to their seats as the first models stepped on to the runway.

This season, Stella McCartney triumphantly left any spillover influence her collaborations with Adidas have had on her work behind and went back to her roots. The British designer produced the loosely tailored, but structured and slightly androgynous suits and slip dresses that have long been one of her strongest points.

Some of the most forward-thinking designers in Paris are casting a wistful backward glance at the swashbuckling universe of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Their collections, costume extravaganzas , actually - are filled with telling references to the kind of mid-20th century sci-fi futurism that had its genesis in the depression years. Models tricked out like astral voyagers in metallic jumpsuits and moon boots are suited up heroically for uncertain times ahead

This season, the big secret was what Gareth Pugh was going to show - or rather, how. Rumblings had emerged beforehand that Pugh's presentation would be a 'show' without the catwalk - namely that he was another designer making a brave foray into fashion film.

If the fashion godmother Miuccia Prada says that conservatism is the new radical, then so it is (except perhaps at Dolce)