Paris leads the world of fashion like no other city. With names such as Balmain, Balenciaga and Lanvin it’s no wonder. These stellar fashion houses ignite the passion in fashion and are in no doubt sparking a reinvention of the high street. SHINE Takes a look at the top three fashion house of now.

Balmain has single handedly sparked a billion dollar frenzy on the high street. Every chain store you visit has tones of Christophe Decarnin’s creations throughout their entire collections. From big super shoulders to sequins, I am not sure if I have ever seen such homage paid to just one fashion house. Balmain’s SS 2010 collection continues to push the boundaries and, although touching on old styles, has managed to add the modern and stunningly chic twist to all of decarnin’s designs.

The super sleek army of models conveyed the military inspired chic designs to perfection. From tattered T-shirts to distressed jeans, bullet belts (and holes) to huge shoulders, all the trappings of Decarnin’s creativity were present. We see leather trousers teamed with military green jackets which were fitted around the feminine form showing a youthful vibe with a sophisticated elegance. Ragged suede dresses and almost cave like gold loincloth pushed for ultra sexy.

There is no doubt that Balmain is still right at the top of the chain and every girl is going to want to sport his designs, wether that be the original or the the endless copies that are almost certainly being drawn up as I type. Balmain is a trend all on it’s own!

Alber Elbaz has created an exceptional and original collection for SS 2010. We see color, supreme glamour and true Lanvin aesthetic pleasure. It seems to me that Elbaz was born to be united with Lanvin.

The candy colors of pink, peach and salmon were a breath of fresh air after the first sequence of black. The stunning red carnation dress took my breath away and we see fine leather, gold sequins and the costume jewelry that we are used to from Elbaz…. but bigger and bolder than ever before.

If there was one trend throughout it was ruffles. The fabric seemed effortlessly ruffled and draped over the body giving a pleasing vision of understated sophistication. The jumpsuits, with no hint of 80’s… phew, were elegantly draped and pleated which should be enough to push this trend forward into a whole new chic style. Like it’s other Parisian counterparts, Lanvin showed bare shoulders and long limbs bringing out an ultra sexy tone.

Lanvin deserved every gasp for it’s fabulous creations which helps keep the fashion house securely at the top with a collection that will be remembered.

Nicholas Ghesquiere did a dramatic shift from cocktail wear to a more urban feel at Balenciaga for SS 2010. Complete with ‘hoodies’ the collection took on an almost sporty feel. “I wanted to do something urban. No more history for the moment!” he was heard saying backstage.

We see lots of fine leather, geometric colorful prints and mini dresses which added a fresh, futuristic tone. The tubular ankle open toed boots completes each look perfectly which gave a slight edge to the urban theme.

The high street will try and copy all these designs but Balenciaga’s craftsmanship is impossible to imitate. The urban warrior look was tied together by using recycled fabrics, hemp weave, fine leather and tribal twists no to mention the bold and colorful makeup.

Paris has truly done it’s best for the SS 2010 season and the best has just got better. Each of these three houses will influence the fashion industry and this kind of creativity demands nothing else.

Copyright notice: Photos by Marcio Madeira, source style.com. All models are represented by respective agencies. Text by Jason Stringer for SHINE Magazine.