I love haute couture week. It is generally a week of fashion fantasy, frippery and the very finest that the couture houses can muster up. And yet, at the start of the week, I was a bit disappointed. I am not going to bleat long about Dior. Suffice to say, the loss of Galliano is a tragedy for fashion. That's all. I am immovable on that. But the opposite was true of this collection from Armani Privé. I was so disappointed in the last collection that my expectations were low for this one. But it was a dazzler.

With a plethora of geisha girls gliding down the runway, the exotic flower from summer is transported — Asian-style — into winter. I loved it. Enjoy the images of some of the looks I thought were particulaly wonderful.

Of course the front row of Privé was jam packed with stylish ladies. Cate Blanchette was queen of course.Immaculate. Katie Holmes looked awesome in trousers and Daphne Guinness, was crazy lovely.