It so happen I grew up in Tuscany and when I was in elementary school I remember day-dreaming to dress up as a grown-up with corduroy pants, a “Flora” Gucci silk shirt, a pair of horsebit loafers (brown suede) and a Roberta di Camerino Bagonghi plush silk velveteen purse.

(image from www.robertadicamerino.it)

Truthfully, the only thing that belonged to me were the corduroy pants, the rest was my mother’s.

This is 2013 and the Horsebit Loafer Collection is looking dapper and iconic at 60 years old. Worn by Hollywood’s who’s who in the ’50s, that double ring with bar element pilfered from the world of horseback riding became a symbol. Worn by Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver , Jane Birkin and Alain Delon, the loafer that takes up to two days to be produced has walked through the years reaching

(image from www.gucci.com)

3 decades after playing dress-up, what’s left of those brown suede shoes are the two horsebits and a desire to own the loafers that go attached to them.

Paris Couture Week was a splash in the past. Eat, drink, love, breathe couture at its highest glories.

Karl Lagerfeld presented “The Glory Of Water” on the Quai of Pont Alexandre III giving a whole new perspective to the millenial spectacular fountains of Rome. Did we forget to mention the Chanel Couture theatrical presentation in a make believe disheveled theater?

Vionnet presented an utterly impressive retrospectives of her genius, we re-discovered this time through the eyes of its creative director Goga Ashkenazi.

Then the Christian Lacroix’ tribute to Elsa Schiaparelli and it was a dream at first sight. The debut to the high society after the stint with Miuccia Prada. Elaborate, fascinating, exquisite celebration of her legacy, the collection will remain in the annals. The Shakespeare of fashion?

The cages, the virtual chirping birds and bamboo manipulated a surreal ambiance. The mannequins carrouseled the 18, looks each one bearing vivid reminiscence of Schiaparelli’s dark, surrealistic elements. The parachute pockets from the “cash and carry” collection, the jumpsuit, the symbolism of the “circus” line all recall the idea that the designer was creating something elegant yet convenient. The inspiration dates back to a the dark and scary period of World War II when “Paris could still be elegant” to say it with Lacroix.

Bravo to Lacroix who presented couture at its highest and produced a show that surpassed all expectations. Stakes are even higher for whomever will be the actual creative director now. On another note, our enthusiasm was stimulated to the point that compared all the other couture shows seemed blushing (not completely though).

And, yes indeed, Paris was more than simply elegant as usual, at least for those three days. Another milestone of fashion history was marked.

What will happen to the collection? There were no comments from Mr. Lacroix and la maison. What we know is that nothing is up for sale.