Sandi in the City

To a soundtrack of fast-paced drumming, Elbaz kicked up the emotional speed with waves of cocktail and eveningwear that spanned simple jersey togas, erotic lace transparencies, glamorous ostrich- and marabou-decorated dresses, and intensely bejeweled and feathered gold or green-tinted lamé. In real time, it was visually sensational and layered with dynamic contradictions, like the fact that baseball jackets, sweatshirt shapes, and track pants were the carriers of some of the most exotic embroideries. That might not wholly read in photographs—blame the grim lighting in the inhospitable warehouse on the outskirts of Paris that Lanvin and other luxury-goods houses have inexplicably taken as a venue recently. But Elbaz's contribution to the season is guaranteed to keep the fashion world thinking for a long while yet.

Backstage at Lanvin.

Alexander McQueen's spring/summer 2010 collection has been awarded a top design award. The collection, the last presented by the designer before his death in February, became one of seven category winners at the Brit Insurance Design Awards 2010 this week - and will now go forward as the fashion representative to compete to be named Design of the Year 2010.

"The seven winners provide a snapshot of some of the most outstanding designs from the past 12 months and reflect the important role design plays in improving people's lives," artist, and chair of the judges, Antony Gormley told the BBC.

The category winners, along with the other shortlisted designs, are on show at the Design Museum until June 6. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on March 16.

The final collection the designer worked on, for autumn/winter 2010-11, is set to be shown at Paris Fashion Week on March 9.

Rodolfo Paglialunga unveiled his autumn/winter 2010/11 collection in a very appropriate Parisian spot - the old apartment belonging to Jean Cocteau, one of the legendary Madeleine Vionnet's closest friends.

Cocteau's blackboard, where had chalked-up Picasso's telephone number and that of his favourite restaurant, La Méditerraneé, was on show and the clothes were displayed among the stone caryatids that formed part of his original decor.

Paglialunga played with variations on the cape, fitting jackets with "open" sleeves, in black wool/cashmere, and styling a metallicised grey cable cape as a sweater, with a thick silver belt.

Elegant, black cape and skirt ensembles were also embossed with laser-cut black patent florals. The technique appeared to great effect also on black organza cocktail dresses. Pale rose and grey, and black velvet short dresses featured drape and knot effects. But there was little evidence of bias-cut, the technique Madame Vionnet pioneered.