Balmain at Paris fashion week

Balmain at Paris fashion week: Christophe Decarnin's signature pieces - teeny-tiny dresses, and sharp-shouldered jackets - came in khaki, brass, black and tobacco Photograph: Thibault Camus/AP

The holey T-shirt was a star piece of the hot-ticket show Photograph: FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images

Military touches extended to cocktail dresses with fringed epaulettes – summer’s version of this winter’s ubiquitous shoulder pad Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

Lapels were decorated with frogging or thickly pinned with medals Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

The skinny leather trousers boasting crocodile panels held together with rows of eyelets and ribbon will, no doubt, be eye-wateringly expensive Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

We assume that Lie Sang Bong's inspiration for this collection must have been Parisian accordian players Photograph: Ian Langsdon/Francois Guillot/EPA/AFP

Headgear was seemingly made out of metal. One looked like a giant mortar with the model's head as the pestle Photograph: Francois Guillot/Remy de la Mauviniere/AFP/Getty/AP

A fantastic concertina hat created by Hiroko Koshino Photograph: Lucas Dolega/EPA

Intricate folding was a theme throughout the Japanese designer's show. This piece reminds us of playground games Photograph: Jacques Brinon/AP

Manish Arora (he of last year's circus dresses) put on another visual spectacle, aided by a light show Photograph: Remy de la Mauviniere/AP

There was a distinct space-age feel to the collection, with many geometric shapes and patterns Photograph: Pierre Verdy/Remy de la Mauviniere/AFP/Getty Images/AP

Beam us up, Scotty Photograph: Pierre Verdy/AFP/Getty Images