Virginal chic at Givenchy in Paris

PARIS - Givenchy unveiled a summer collection of near-monastic simplicity, both demurely chic and deeply luxurious, as it closed day six of Paris Fashion Week on Sunday.

With a giant church organ in the heart of the venue, and the scent of myrrh in the air, designer Riccardo Tisci -- whose men's line in the summer already had a clerical ring to it -- set up a distinctly ecclesiastical scene.

Under the watch of hip hop's Kanye West, among the celebrities present, his models stepped out in ballerina chignons, almost nunnish in tops or dresses of layered organza.

Black and white dominated, with flashes of baby blue or dove grey, and monochrome dresses were accentuated with vertical flounces on one shoulder. Balloon sleeves were opened up and fastened to the back with gold metal, like angel's wings perhaps.

Bouffant taffeta tunics brought flashes of volume to an otherwise slender wardrobe and for nighttime, there were skirts with trains, or a long bare-backed white dress.

Earlier at Hermes, designer Christophe Lemaire created collages of graphic patterns, multicoloured or in fine drawn Chinese-ink style, directly inspired by the house's signature silk scarves.

Elsewhere monochrome silhouettes, many of them white, conjured a cool elegance, like a short coat or a top in leather so fine it resembles a fabric. The same went for a delicate mouse-grey dress, with a tiny pin hole pattern.

Precious leathers came in bold and bright colours, like a crocodile top in emerald or electric blue. A top and leather shorts ensemble, came with fine braces and giant pockets as if the model had borrowed an apron from one of the house craftsmen.