Jean Paul Gaultier claws back to top form with Paris haute couture collection A model walks the runway during the Jean Paul Gaultier show as part of Paris Fashion Week Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2013-2014. JEAN Paul Gaultier wasn't pussyfooting around this season - this was le dernier cri in leopard luxe. With Eartha Kitt's purring vocals setting the pre-show scene, Gaultier's autumn/winter haute couture show in Paris on the final day of shows on Wednesday presented every conceivable variation of the big cat print - except of the actual fur variety. "I didn't use any real panther," said Gaultier, referring to real fur in a leopard print. "I used fake ones, two of them were in feathers so it's mixed, like a chicken mixed with leopard, like a joke," said the jovial Gaultier backstage after the show. I used satin, I used Swarovski (crystals), I used leather, I used a lot of things but not [fur]. Actual fur was used elsewhere in trims and cuffs, but never in leopard print. Gaultier cited the ever-popular print's appeal as being "sexy, but elegant at the same time." He also cited the "femmes pantheres" or the bold, uber-feminine women of cinema, in particular of Fellini's films, as some of his muses. Each outfit had the names of a character from history, film, television, books and cartoons, including Mata Hari, Kiki de Montparnasse and those feline favourites Catwoman and the Pink Panther, the latter resplendent in pink satin leopard print stole top. The other element of Gaultier's inspiration came from another Fellini favourite, the white clown. Or David Bowie Ashes to Ashes - that costume of the clown that was very beautiful, very poetic, even my wedding dress (finale) was like that. La Mariee did, indeed, step right out of the music video, in a trouser ensemble of exaggerated curves, even tossing rose petals into the audience instead of ashes in a nod to romance. The white clown reference - not to be confused with circus clowns - went right through to the shape of trousers, which had enormous pockets running down the side in the shape of a funnel. "The trousers are like chaps, but also like carrots or ice-cream cones," he said. Gaultier joked that they were also very practical: "You can put plenty of things in pockets that are so deep." Earlier that day, Maison Martin Margiela presented an extraordinary and thought-provoking collection of reimagined or reworked vintage pieces collected since the maison began in 1988. This included segments of densely beaded Beijing Opera costumes from the 1930s, restored and reworked by fusing to a tuxedo ensemble, or a strapless dress created from the tulle skirt of a 1950s prom dress. The models' faces were masked in a variety of finishes, including tiny vintage flowers, cabochon-cut marble, and rocaille beading in homage to the late Australian performance artist Leigh Bowery. Christian Dior designer Raf Simons was in the front row, supporting Matthieu Blazy, formerly senior designer on Simons' own label, and now Margiela's head designer for its artisinal arm. Franck Sorbier presented a medieval-themed collection in the gardens of the Swiss Consulate, complete with hounds on leashes and pageboy tunics with tights. Models in dense tapestry-style fabrics, concertinaed brocades and Guinevere gowns all made their solemn parade around the garden, finishing up in a tableau on the centre lawn. The only thing missing was a may pole.