Bonjour, Paris! After taking a hiatus last season, we’re back in this beautiful city that we love, charged with memories of running on cobbled pavements to the shows, hot chocolate and tea breaks, weaving in and out of the network of cars, photographers and crowds, eating shoestring fries along Avenue Montaigne and taking a million photos of the Eiffel Tower. Also, the collections. Oh, the collections. It seems that this time, more than ever, designers are embracing that covetable ease that one envisions during spring and summer. Make no mistake – this isn’t that “not caring” aesthetic that ruled several seasons back. From the spectacular, magical beach at Chanel to fluorescent-lit hallways at Louis Vuitton, these were our top five collections from Paris.

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CHANEL

Will Chanel ever not completely blow us away with their show sets? Doubt it. This season in Paris, Chanel whisked us all away to the seaside, complete with water villas, wooden bridges, a sandy beach and waves that ebbed and flowed. The clothes that went with it? Perfectly vacation ready, of course, from vinyl logo slides, cropped shirts that read “CHANEL” across the chest, double-bags for all the essentials, logo straw hats and tweed short suits that ended at the knee. See our full review and favourite moments here.

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LOUIS VUITTON

It is so exciting to see how Nicolas Ghesquiere evolves with each season. He is experimental, but he doesn’t let it get to his head. The result? Fresh, electrifying clothes and combinations that never, ever feel detached from the real world and the real girl – and boy, since many of the looks felt androgynous – yet feel so forward. There are so many key elements in this collection: splashes of prints that recall the eighties but so tastefully done, sculpted ruffles, woven metallics that look like chainmail, deconstructed ribbed knits that were embroidered at the hems, pillowy sleeves, patchwork leather coats and jackets and just magnificent accessories. It seems like we’re always saying that Ghesquiere’s latest is his best and this season, we’re afraid we have to say the same.

MIU MIU

Miuccia Prada’s latest for Miu Miu felt like a return to the Miu Miu of several years ago – that girl who rebels against the conventions she was raised in, takes the things she is handed and reworks them to make them her own. Grunge sentiments reign high, but as this is Miu Miu, it is not without a dose of quirky and – dare we say it – cute. Shiny eighties dresses complete with big bows and roses at the shoulder Sequinned midi dresses with embellished ribbon running down one side, paired with socks and Mary-Jane platforms. Tiny, tiny panelled, bubbled and ruffled denim worn over sheer bralets and dresses. Sixties-style pea coats worn with knee-high socks. Boxy blazers worn with shorts that would make any set of legs look like they’ll go on forever. There is a lot going on, but with the impeccable styling and layering, the collection ends up reading as cohesive. Statements when worn together as they are apart.

LOEWE

Jonathan Anderson proves again and again that he is someone who marches to the beat of his own individualistic drum, untainted by the trends that come and go faster than us gobbling down a meal in-between shows. Anderson imagines a bohemian, but again, she is nothing like anything you’ve ever seen. Knits that are simultaneously chunky and light, feathery pants, silk-satin coordinated sets and handkerchief dresses that fly in the wind – all just the tip of the Loewe sand dune, because well, summer. See our full review and favourite moments here.

CHLOE

The Chloe girl evolves yet again, but she is still her at the very core. Natacha Ramsay-Levi understands the modern woman, whatever stage of her life she may be in, and she has got her covered for all of it. It is an aesthetic that balances ease with polish and practically, the kind of mix that is welcome on any day in our books. See our full review and favourite moments here.

What To Read Next: All My Fashion Week Looks – The #PFW Edition, Get Ready For Your Essential Dose of Vitamin C-hanel and Chloé Brings The Easiest, Breeziest of Looks To The Parisian Stage | Cover Image: Natalyn Chan, Runway Images: Vogue.com