Both Rick Owen's and Ann Demeulemeester's runway feats gave ample reason for pause yesterday. Already seared into the collective-conscious of social and traditional media, Owen's show marched women wearing other women in the basement of the Palais de Tokyo. Art director Sébastien Meunier utilized choker-topped leather harnesses to push his languid looks in a sadomasochist direction. Yet, in spite of body politics, each collection offered a surprisingly accessible selection of wardrobe staples.

In every collection, Owens distorts silhouettes and by extension physical form. In this spring 2016 lineup, a lens of female resilience governed that distortion. Literally, gymnasts interspersed with models carried the physical weight of another body-much like the weight women bear as nurturers, in Owen's mind. The clothing itself maintained Owen's signature sculptural quality, like beautifully shaped folds transforming short dresses or a supple mix of organza, canvas and leather tinged with metallic. A plethora of short, architectural dresses aside, other key winners for those eager to distort their wardrobe in an Owen's-leaning direction included tonal bombers, sleeveless dusters and crinkled anoraks.

Shop: current season Rick Owens

Break up the drama of harnesses over sheer bodysuits and Sébastien's neo-gothic women presented a wearable collection focused on tailoring and transparency. Streamlined blazers and vests in varied lengths (hip, knee and ankle) plus slim pants added up to lean, power-without-posturing silhouettes. Illusory prints amplified the optical depth and movement of sheer-over-sheer layers. Later looks cautioned with what looked like silver, feathery spikes while others looked ready to shed actual delicate feathers. Splashes of citrus and emerald broke up the bottomless black, but didn't detract from the collection's overarching poetry-the dark romance at the heart of Ann Demeulemeester's woman.

Shop: current season Ann Demeulemeester

Alber Elbaz showed us a varied collection for spring, fitting in as many silhouettes and layers as possible into the 70 looks he kept in groups, in a way creating mini collections to make sense of what the designer otherwise described as a "smorgasbord" of looks.

Borrowed-from-the-boys tailoring kicked off the show with a mutton-sleeved button down and tuxedo pants on an equally androgynous Ruth Bell. Menswear for women quickly morphed into simple classics like loose flowing, ruffled dresses and evening gowns that gave the illusion of skin without, well, giving skin. The designer returned to his method of draping and gathering fabrics to sit atop camouflaged nude bases, giving us a more sensible version of sultry French dressing.

Never one to leave an audience wanting for sparkle, Elbaz delivered on his signature sequin work, pairing metallic flapper-style minis with windbreakers to downplay the flapper-inspired dresses. It seemed bows in every form were thrown or tied on shoulders, necklines and hips almost aimlessly, lending a new take on accessorizing. The closing standout look? Julia Nobis' (who seems to be opening or closing every show this season) scribble dress advertising the store's Paris location complete with oversized shoulder bow.

Shop: current season Lanvin

-Katie Joy Blanksma