At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri looked to the architecture of antiquity.

Pierpaolo Piccioli showed a pared-down Valentino collection at the Château de Chantilly.

For Balenciaga’s Demna, clothing can be armor.

Chanel’s hometown of Paris provided fresh inspiration for Virginie Viard.

At Armani Privé, silk roses punctuated sleek evening gowns.

Toujours Couture

In Paris, as protesters took to the streets, designers stormed the runways

Written and illustrated by David Downton

Paris brûle-t-il? The question hung in the air for days leading up to Couture Week, which began on July 3 as widespread unrest was reported in France following the shooting of the teenager known as “Nahel M” by a police officer.

While carefully worded press releases acknowledged the tension in the capital, the prevailing mood within (and without) the gilded portals of high fashion was that the show must go on.