Spring collection takes off from Paris and lands in Africa

After a day when aviation was very much in the news, with angry Air France employees assaulting executives discussing cuts and tearing off their clothing, an airline theme was the focus at the Chanel show in Paris.

With his usual finger on the pulse, Karl Lagerfeld transformed the Grand Palais into Paris-Cambon airport for his spring/summer 2016 show, complete with check-in desks, terminals and a flight departure display screen, much to the amusement of more than 2,500 guests.

Like previous transformations of the Grand Palais, these Chanel spectacles are always traffic stopping affairs that bemuse the crowds outside, draw out well-heeled locals as well as international celebrities and assert the power of the brand.

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Models present creations from the Spring/Summer 2016 collection by German designer Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel during the Paris Fashion Week. Photograph: EPA/Reuters

On the runway, the first model, in a pink and yellow gingham tweed jumpsuit, sported a Coco wheelie bag, silver leather driving gloves and Perspex lace-up shoes.

That set the tone for a dazzling line-up of lurex and zigzag tweed suits, splash print separates, glitter vests and roomy, travel-friendly, stylish knits and pants.

A huge collection, it mixed sharply tailored suits, informal denims and apron skirts worn modishly over trousers. Styling is everything at these affairs and baseball caps worn back to front, light-up Velcro trek sandals and mirrored aviator shades were designed to keep the look youthful.

At the finale, Lagerfeld took his bow with model Cara Delevingne and his seven-year-old godson Hudson Kroenig dressed like a mini pilot.

Journeys of another sort, into "wild, tribal Africa" were at the heart of the Valentino show in the Tuileries Gardens, to the accompaniment of John Barry's soundtrack to the 1985 movie Out of Africa.

The designers now at the helm of the Italian house, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, brought their Italian refinement and sensibility to familiar aspects of African embellishment and adornment, for a romantically beautiful spring collection.

Colours – terracotta, saffron, ivory and brown – reflected the earth, and dresses were ornamented with raffia, Masai style beading, fringing and feathers.

Craftsmanship and a sense of the hand-made stood out, from the white terracotta embroidery on an apricot tulle dress to the stamped and studded leather bustiers worn like armour over white monastic robes.

In a rare expression of approval, the collection generated a standing ovation.