The frocky horror show: Balenciaga showcases eccentric designs including clashing prints, baggy tweed and librarian specs (but Anna Wintour seems to love it) 

Many catwalk-watchers hail the Seventies as the ultimate decade for style, while others damn it as the decade that fashion forgot.

But for Balenciaga it was the equivalent of a dressing up box to be raided for a new collection that touched on key looks from hippie-ish clashing prints to a belted leather jacket with matted fur collar that wouldn't have looked out of place in The Sweeney.

It was the first collection from Demna Gvasalia, who moved from Vetements to helm the luxury label - and he was honoured with the attendance of the creme de la creme of the fashion world including Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington and Gucci's new creative director Alessandro Michele.

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Gucci's Alessandro Michele and Anna Wintour in the front row Balenciaga show, Autumn Winter 2016, Paris Fashion Week, France

Wintour wore a metallic gold short-sleeved dress with an eye-catching and dazzling necklace and a pair of boots over black tights.

She teamed it all with a black Russian-inspired coat and of course donned her signature black shades as she surveyed the collection - the first one since the departure of US designer Alexander Wang.

Models walked the catwalk in Paris's 15th Arrondissement, in a foam padded room with a soundtrack that was, reportedly, played so loud the room vibrated.

The designer mixed and matched clashing prints to create flowing dresses with handkerchief hems teamed with red and white striped tights while other looks seemed to evoke dowdy secretaries with sculptural interpretations of an office suit teamed with polo neck jumpers and large glasses.

Flesh was very much not on show with skin covered by baggy styles or flowing fabric.

A number of bold looks were dresses made up of contrasting floral fabrics, paired with tights that may or may not have been inspired by peppermint candy canes or Mr Gvasalia's most recent trip to the barbershop

Dowdy secretaries from the Seventies seemed to inspire this look which added structured hips and shoulders to an otherwise classic silhouette, while the glasses said 'local library' rather than 'international catwalk'

Notes left on the seats of the show described the show as a 'a reimagining of the work of Cristobal Balenciaga - a wardrobe of absolute contemporaneity and realism imbued with the attitude of haute couture. A translation, not a reiteration. A new chapter.' 

But alongside the 40-year-old looks were more modern sporty outfits. 

Hip bomber jackets with pleated skirts gave an urban-meets-urbane feel. Knits were large and baggy worn with bold accessories like dark glasses with an outsized green velvet chain.

One model rocked a navy bomber over a grey top, black pleated skirt and motorcycle gloves.   

Chic and practical outerwear in myriad forms was a staple of the show, with bright blue parkas, bombers in subdued navy, a hero knit in the shape of a polo neck grey jumper and a black leather trench.

The sporty looks were some of the most wearable, although motorcycle gloves (left) may take a while to catch on; meanwhile Demna Gvasalia dressed models in baggy knits which were large and sparkling and teamed with an oversized green velvet glasses chain (right)

While some models wafted down the catwalk in pure Seventies style, other brought sportswear up to date with baggy skiing jackets styled with tight trousers, sparkly jumpers and big statement earrings

 The belted leather coat with a thick fur collar looked like something you'd see on The Sweeney (left); Gvasalia demonstrated a love of complex prints (right) set against each other in outfits that, at first glance, looked counterintuitive

Ugly jumpers got a high fashion makeover with structured tweed skirts and glam rock-inspired stack-heeled boots

Gvasalia styled a rather drab checked sleeveless dress with almost fetish-look blue latex boots (left); he also stuck to the leather coat theme with a black leather belted number over red ski pants (right)

Meanwhile, Céline debuted its Fall 16 collection in a sports court lined by stadium seating.

Phoebe Philo has been creative director of the fashion house since 2008, and - despite rumours that she was considering leaving in February - the new collection featured her signature layering, with long tunics and oversized jumpers worn over swishy bootleg trousers.

Comfort was its watchword with luxurious fabrics, wide-legged trousers with models showcasing minimal make-up and simply styled hair. 

Like Balenciaga, Celine opted for big leather jackets in non-traditional colours, like this French navy number worn with sandals

Models showcased wide leg trousers, confirming that it's one trend that's going nowhere. But in one look it was teamed with an ivory silk ruched top (left), in another it was layered with a black coat and then a sleeveless trench over the top

The most casual of outerwear took pride of place on the catwalk with this model showcasing a khaki mac over black trousers, a brown leather cross-body bag and black sandals

The bags were similarly unstructured with soft shoulder styles and no adornment except for stitching and individual buttons

Models paraded down the catwalk in leather outerwear in muted colours with pops of mustard and khaki, and exaggerated collars. Fans on Twitter praised the collection's relaxed silhouettes, in particular a belted blue leather mac.

Commenting on the collection, Mette Nielsen tweeted: 'Business as usual, meant in the best way!' while Robin Givhan wrote: 'The pants are long, the shirts are too. So save up for those dry-cleaning bills. It's Fashion! ' 

The proliferation of wide-legged trousers was a sign that the style shows no sign of going anywhere but Philo made sure that they were styled in the most casual way possible with flat shoes, baggy coats and layering.