Drama kings

oversized fur at Viktor and Rolf/Image: Giovanni Gianonni for WWD

In New York and Milan the world watched as major names like Marc Jacobs and Prada turned  focused on feminine, wearable looks with a soft, sexy mid-century motif. But in Paris over the weekend, the avant garde bucked the ladylike trend with a myriad of highly produced presentations that seemed to prize drama over wear ability, including:

Infamous for outlandish looks that vacillate between costume insanity, and works of fashion art, style icons Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren,  have built a dynasty on pushing boundaries.  For Fall 2010, they staged an over the top presentation, for sporty styles  that left some of the most influential critics in the industry feeling flat, while the twitterverse exploded with praise.  The one thing no one could argue with, the show itself which included Model Kristen McMenamy walking the runway with the ENTIRE collection on her back, and being systematically stripped, was something to remember. Completely video of the performance art/runway show is now available online here.

Maison Martin Margiela goes Wild Thing/Giovanni Giannoni for WWDMaison Martin Margiela added Gaga-esque shoulders, stand-out waistbands, and Wild Things reminiscent hats(pictured right)  to a collection that was otherwise sleek and restrained, the result: a wacky mash up of extremes that was only somewhat realistically envisioned for stores.

Taking the term sleeping bag coat, and running with it John Galliano unleashed an act of of mind-bending design on the public with a show that  Women's Wear Daily called "An  exotic curry of a collection."  You can say that again.

Giovanni Gianonni for WWD

When not creating a low-cost line for Target, Jean Paul Gautier has made a career out of  marching to his own drum. Whether it's 1990's era cone-bras, or his Fall 2010 travel-log inspired collection Paris' original wild man of style seems impervious to current trends, for better or for worse.

Jean Paul Gautier Fall 2010/Giovanni Gianonni for WWD

Karl Lagerfeld RTW Fall 2010/ Giovanni Giannoni for WWD

You might expect Stella McCartney, Dianne Von Furstenberg, or even Donna Karen to create a women's wear collection they themselves would want to wear, but when discussing the work of Karl Lagerfeld that decision is a bit more unusual.  Then again  his personal motto of 'Love thy Self'  has served Lagerfeld well for decades.