Haute couture shows: Chanel and Armani - in pictures

Air Chanel: the most glamorous airline in the world Photograph: Dominique Charriau/WireImage

Beads and tulle are Chanel trademarks. The pockets are meant to offset the poshness of this cocktail dress Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Slim tweed dresses in Pan Am blue were a dominant theme at Chanel. Note the pockets again: Coco herself had a penchant for them Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Gravity-defying hair was reminiscent of the new face of Chanel, Alice Dellal Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Karl Lagerfeld acknowledges the applause of the audience after the show Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

With Oscars around the corner, will the A-list nominees opt for Giorgio Armani's strapless numbers? Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP

Petals of organza cocooned the shoulders in Armani's eveningwear Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

Armani practically has a PhD in jackets. He shows off his tailoring skills at couture Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP

Will a swishy cocktail jacket perched on the shoulders capture the imagination of the red-carpet set? Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

Armani backed green, with dresses exclusively in absinthe, ivy, lime and chartreuse Photograph: Pierre Verdy/AFP/Getty Images