Paris Fashion Week

It's such a shame none of the girls who walked in Valentino's Fall 2013 show on Tuesday wore pearl earrings. The collection was an ode to Flemish artists and artisans that visited everything from Rembrandt to Delftware, and even threw in some less-than-obvious references to Vermeer.

But even shoppers who didn't major in art history will find things to appreciate and love in this offering, like the white, embroidered leather collars on dresses that called "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp" to mind and enhanced their wearer's faces. The many blue and white dresses in the show were cut from fabrics developed to look like Delft pottery, seen often in Vermeer's paintings.

The clothes themselves toed the line between Valentino's place in the fairy tale of fashion (a few ermine pieces made the models wearing them look like Renaissance royalty) and the current vogue for rounded shoulders and generous outerwear. What Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli have shown here is that they can work a theme without getting too thematic. And the results are simply stunning.

Givenchy's Fall 2013 collection was designed for the strong woman in mind, and no fierce female would be complete without a bold beauty statement. And that's just what the colorful hair coming down the Parisian runway was all about. The models' strands were pinned up in multiple coils and then painted various bold hues, including blue, pink, purple, and orange. With such eye-catching hair, the makeup was kept simple with shades of pink on the eyes, lips, and cheeks, which is a lot more wearable than the colorful coifs.

The look: Vibrant hair with shimmering pink makeup.
Who would wear it: The empowered woman who likes to make heads turn.
Color scheme: Rainbow hair with a surprisingly sweet pink makeup palette.

Valentino is known for his elegant, feminine designs, an aesthetic that follows suit in the perpetually glamorous beauty looks he sends down his runways. Ballerina buns, berry lips, and natural makeup are what this iconic designer favors, whether the season be Spring or Fall. Relive some of the most beautiful moments of the Valentino runway.

Chanel Fall 2013 was all about celebrating the brand's global reach. With the strains of "Around the World" pumping through the Grand Palais, Karl Lagerfeld sent models swirling around a gigantic light-up globe with interlocking CC logo flags dropped in to the brand's boutiques around the world. Chanel's iconic tweeds turned up in boxy jackets with rounded shoulders over matching miniskirts, while the famous quilted bag got an update with an open-ended handle. Nighttime came in layers of sheer black over chain-laden boots and globe-shaped minaudières. From the folders filled with photos of the collection by Lagerfeld himself to the enormity of the set, there was a precision and an attention to detail that one can only expect of a house like Chanel. If this is Karl's world, then we want to live in it. Click through to see the full Chanel 2013 collection.

Chanel's Fall 2013 ready-to-wear collection was a study in how to be a global brand. Start by putting on the largest production of Paris Fashion Week, complete with a glowing globe dotted with your store locations spinning in the middle of the Grand Palais. Then line up a celeb-packed front row, including Jessica Chastain and Frank Ocean. And finally, send out a strong collection that capitalizes on the DNA of the brand while hitting all the right notes for the season. Jackets had the de rigeur rounded shoulder and boxy shape, while high hemlines skimmed the leather of thigh high boots. Footwear took on a tough edge with chains strewn across the front, and there were endless varieties of the iconic Chanel bag — some familiar, some brand-new. Based on this collection, we might see some new dots on that globe come next season. Click through to see the full Chanel 2013 collection.

If there's one thing that's certain, it's that Chanel's shows are always full of whimsy and fantasy. Whether it's a high-fashion haystack or bedazzled brows, the runway stylings of this iconic brand are a delight to behold. So let your imagination wander. In honor of Chanel's Paris Fashion Week show today, take a look back at some of the finest beauty looks the design house has sent down the catwalks.

Viewing Saint Laurent's Fall 2013 runway can be likened to taking a time-traveling trip to the '90s grunge era. Hair was purposefully mussed for that second-day hair feeling, and the makeup was focused on the eyes. Each model wore well-rimmed eyes that were smudged for a tear-stained effect. The good thing is that this is one runway look you'll be able to re-create by just rolling out of bed.

The look: Smeared eyeliner and just-out-of-bed hairstyles.
Who would wear it: A woman who works hard but plays harder.
Trends: Punk and grunge are having a revival on the international runways; Saint Laurent channeled the angst of the decade with the undone hair texture and dark eye makeup.

Maiyet cofounder Kristy Caylor and creative director Gabriella Zanzani took a "spiritual journey through the Himalayas" for Fall 2013, resulting in a collection that blended down-home craft with sophisticated shapes and even a bit of urban edge. Outsize wool outerwear with hand-felted sleeves or neon blanket stripes were especially appealing, as were shell tops, shrunken jackets, and slim pants in vibrant Varanasi silks. Also of note were the accessories, which, just like the other elements in the line, are produced by artisans the world over: high-heel knee boots with tassels and reverse appliqué clutches from Italy, leather crossbody harnesses from New York, and chunky studded cuffs from Indonesia.

Never mind that Bono, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, and Jessica Alba were sitting front row. And never mind that the setting was Paris's gorgeously gilded Opéra Garnier. The clothes on Stella McCartney's Fall 2013 runway were plenty spectacular on their own.

But don't go thinking that means glitter and glitz. Nope, this was pure McCartney, and that means clean, functional, comfortable, and very, very chic. The designer drew inspiration from her past on Saville Row, melding that world's pinstriped wool and large-scale plaids with oversize cuts and asymmetrical shapes, striking the perfect balance between masculine and feminine. "It was a redirection of Stella classics," the designer explained. "[They are] things I do instinctively and effortlessly, so paying homage to Britain and its classic tailoring and inserting a new femininity, bringing a sensual woman into it all."