The yin and the yang of Paris fashion week is that you can swing from Commes Des Garcons to Jean Paul Gautier in the space of an hour. This is far more than a cab from the Left Bank to the Marais. It's two totally different cerebral zones in a world where current style trends are entirely ignored.

Rei Kawakubo, who has overseen her Commes Des Garcons label for more than 40 years, showed a collection that was more fairy tale than clothing. Lighting designer Thierry Dreyfus produced the set, which consisted of recycled gray...