Fri., Jul. 10, 2009 2:19 PM PDT by Karen Brailsford
Without a bevy of movie stars to amp up the wattage, the designs themselves took center stage at the haute couture shows in Paris. We're not complaining. Who needs Eva or Nicole or Rihanna when you've got John Galliano and Christian Lacroix at their wacky best? Sure, most of the looks were quite wearable, and no doubt we'll see them on the red carpet come awards season. But what most intrigued us were the outlandish looks, which we are all too delighted to present to you. We appreciate them for their inventiveness and, er, uniquely inspired nature.
To see our Top 10 fave—and the names of those celebs we think should throw couture caution (as in safe, boring gowns) to the wind and actually wear these confections, click through our new Haute Couture Fall 2009: Cultured or Tortured? gallery.