These may be the autumn haute couture collections, but in the minds of the designers it is always a summer's day. With the topsyturvy way the weather is performing now, maybe they've got it right: downpours in July and a heat wave in November?
Either way, couturiers fancy their clients will be somewhere hot come the autumn, judging by the light, filmy fabrics and bare ly-there lingerie-look evening wear we have seen on the catwalk in the last few days.
In Ungaro's garden, it is always a summer's day, as he sent out a beautiful romantic collection of lace-edged satin charmeuse slip dresses hand-painted with flowers and sprouting pretty silk corsages at the neck or hip.
The long satin gowns with the big ruff collars embedded with flowers, the rose pet al coat and a long parade of lacy and chiffon evening suits looked so tantalising that you would have willingly moved to warmer climes just to have the excuse to wear them.
A couple of androgynous pin-striped jackets and the lightweight floral patterned devore coats would offer little protection from a north wind. However, as Ungaro's expertise is in his evening wear, perhaps those looking for something a little more practical should turn to Valentino and his expertly fitted wool suits.
Valentino, who is celebrating 40 years in fashion this year, is renowned for his perfectionism, and for quality you could not fault his autumn couture collection: yet somehow it lacked spirit. The essence of magic which makes couture so desirable was missing this season.
Fabric twisted into a knot on the back of a jacket, the side of an asymmetric evening gown, or the tie front of a chiffon blouse was the signature theme of the show. It is a clever little visual trick to flatter a curvaceous figure.
A knotted jacket with a sunray pleated skirt and a big picture hat was a look with which any of his clients could identify.
As a couturier, Valentino is perhaps the most conscious of the needs of his customers to wear something which makes them feel alluring and feminine, and maybe that's the point.
Some designers have a vision of fantasy for the catwalk which has to be adapted for the client, whereas Valentino's dresses could walk straight off the catwalk and into his client's wardrobe, which probably explains why he produces one of Paris's biggest-selling collection.