Smart fashion for smart women

Fashion is not just about little floaty bits of fabric and pretty silhouettes. Hussein Chalayan proved once again that fashion can be as architecturally complex as a piece of Mies van der Rohe furniture or a Frank Lloyd Wright building.

At his fall show in Paris models made their way down the catwalk sporting coats and dresses with cushioned, leather head-rest collars and epaulettes. It was the stuff of modern furniture but with a fashionable twist, and surprisingly wearable. Chalayan continued to intellectually challenge fashionista's at large, but presented a truly beautiful range.

From short, stark, belted coats in black or white cut in a circle to duffle coats, dresses with Art Nouveau decorative cut-outs at the décolleté and similar versions in metallic fabric, Chalayan was on fine form. Not for the faint of heart, this collection will nevertheless appeal to a broader audience. The silhouette, cinched at the waist and with a bold collar, recalls currently fashionable looks, but with a personal spin. His double-wedge thigh high, skinny boots echo the ever-growing popularity of the wedge heel.