French designer Jean Paul Gaultier blithely ignored the old showbiz adage that you should never work with animals or children, sending out models on Tuesday with a veritable menagerie of cats, dogs and even an owl.
His Gothic-flavored autumn-winter ready-to-wear collection reflected the somber mood ruling the Paris catwalks, which also featured outfits by Issey Miyake.
British model Lily Cole seemed on the brink of exasperation as she tugged a reluctant greyhound towards photographers, before finally giving up halfway down the catwalk and turning back.
To add insult to injury, she was wearing a plastic anti-scratch collar that matched the one on her canine charge. Meanwhile, a poodle decked out in a lace corset drew tut-tuts from several animal lovers in the audience.
The gimmicks threatened to detract from a fine collection that drew inspiration from ghost tales and nursery rhymes, with vaporous fabrics and a dark palette of plum to deepest black. Think Great Expectations meets Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.
A black lace hourglass corset was worn with a cropped black tuxedo jacket and flared pants. Bubble dresses came in a range of see-through fabrics, from maroon lace to crinkled black chiffon.
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Standouts included a black velvet floorlength dress fit for a latter-day Morticia, and a spidery knit bronze dress.
Front-row guest Rossy de Palma said she was a longtime fan of the irreverent designer.
``I love his fantasy, I love his childlike creativity,'' said the Spanish actress, who has modeled for Gaultier and wore his costumes in the Pedro Almodovar-directed movie Kika.
Things are looking up for Gaultier after a tough year that saw his company ax staff and restructure its activities. Business is improving and in October, he will celebrate 30 years in design.
In the meantime, the designer has been busy making stage outfits for sultry Spanish flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes, whose new show opens in Paris this week.
And after designing Madonna's infamous conical bra, Gaultier will be whipping up some new costumes for her upcoming world tour. Hopefully, no pets will be involved.
Japanese designer Naoki Takizawa also has an appetite for subverting fabrics and techniques, but his collection for Miyake took a more low-key approach.
Guests including French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres gathered in the empty hall of France's future museum of tribal and ethnic arts -- a stunning building by architect Jean Nouvel that is due to open to the public in June.
Takizawa drew inspiration from ancient Japanese techniques, calling on basketmakers from Kyoto to weave bamboo bags and using a traditional kimono-printing technique on distressed silk taffeta.
But there was nothing stuffy about his luxury sportswear separates, which included a dusty pink parka with a furry hood and brightly patterned leggings worn with side-laced knee-high boots.
Takizawa, describing his muse for the collection, said in a statement: ``She is a woman with a dual nature. Constantly thinking and dreaming of adventure -- with her playful and curious mind.''
That translated into a novel use of colored climbing ropes, which were draped in loose rows across black dresses in a style that recalled the traditional clothing of Kenya's Masai tribes.
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