Christian Dior dabbles in film noir at Paris fashion week

Christian Dior: licence to thrill Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

Models wearing shimmering evening gowns Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

John Galliano showed underwear as outerwear for his haute couture show a few months ago. He built on that idea while designing for Dior this season Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

It was all like something out of a Raymond Chandler novel - check out the pistol-shaped tag dangling from this briefcase Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

Femme fatales strode down the catwalk with vampy red lips and 40s permanent waves. A heaving bosom was a prerequisite (OK, we might have made the last bit up) Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

Wedge heels were worn with glittery ankle socks Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

Earlier in the day, Atsuro Tayama's show featured gathered fabrics cascading over bellies, bottoms and breasts. Our standout piece was this puffy leather jacket embellished with metal eyelets Photograph: Lucas Dolega/EPA

Flats have been seen at so many catwalk shows this season that we're starting to worry Christian Louboutin might go out of business. Here they are at Issey Miyake Photograph: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters

Legs were jazzed up with patterned tights under flat (again) sandals Photograph: Jacky Naegelen/Reuterst

One wonders why Miyake felt he had to take fashion advice from Rab C Nesbitt Photograph: Pierre Verdy/AFP/Getty Images

Bernhard Willhelm got the wrong end of the stick about straw hats Photograph: Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images

We can't think of a pun for this, but there must be a good one. Answers on a postcard ... Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP

At Gaspard Yurkievich we loved the doubled-up belts and tailored blazers Photograph: Ian Langsdon/EPA

Hemlines were super-short and we saw knee-high peep-toe boots (we've also spotted them at Versace) Photograph: Pierre Verdy/AFP/Getty Images

Sadly, we weren't actually there to hear the music, but it looks very heartfelt ... Photograph: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters