In the first part of this video, join Susan at the Bouchra Jarrar défilé in Paris. Bouchra shows during the Haute Couture, but her clothes are actually ready-to-wear (although very fine examples of such). Unlike some maisons, Bouchra focuses on daywear–clothes you would reach for again and again. Her pants, in particular, are beautifully cut, and her jackets are super-sleek. Then, Susan stops by a presentation of Atelier Versace couture. These are extraordinary dresses, and the camera shows you all the amazing details!

It’s always a very special experience, seeing the Givenchy Haute Couture each season–it’s shown as a small, but utterly extraordinary, presentation held in the beautiful salons of the Hôtel d’Evreux, on the Place Vendôme.

There’s always a buzz of curiosity and excitement surrounding a Chanel Haute Couture show–I, for one, am always awed by Karl Lagerfeld’s seemingly endless ability to recombine (even reinvent) the vocabulary of basic elements we’ve all come to associate with this legendary maison.

This season’s Haute Couture presentation took place inside the Grand Palais, which had been transformed to resemble the Place Vendôme by night. Ah yes: Paris is always beautiful, but there’s something about the city at night that’s like nowhere else. And Karl deliberately arranged for his défilé to start late (10:30 PM), in order to recreate an authentic vision of nighttime Paris. The guests gathered before the show for cocktails and canapés, then made their way inside the enormous venue and gradually took their places.

Last season, I went to see Giovanni Bedin‘s haute couture collection for The House of Worth for the first time. As you may recall, it was all about corsets (paired with tutus) and, as a contemporary collection, it was a little difficult to understand. But this time, I saw a real evolution in Giovanni’s work: corsets had turned into dresses, gowns and especially jackets. Everything was black, white or nude; there were elements of panniers and crinoline cages; and most pieces were finished with intricate lace details.