Sheer Chic Ysl in Paris

Some fashion designers make a career out of an ability to smell which way the wind is blowing, and to present the prettiest version of the zeitgeist back to the very people from whom it came. This is a good bet if you want to make money.

However, other designers prefer to follow their own instincts, with barely a glance over their shoulder at the pack. Stefano Pilati, who presented his third collection for Yves Saint Laurent yesterday, the final day of the catwalk season, is one of this second group. In his first collection for the label a year ago, he presented the "tulip" skirt, a take on the puffball which looked odd at the time, but has gathered steam ever since.

Then, six months later, he based a collection on 17th century ecclesiastical costumes, which in their combination of clean outline and opulent fabric presaged the new minimalism which has since emerged. Unfortunately, being a visionary butters no parsnips. Nor does it sell handbags. And the manner in which Alessandra Facchinetti, appointed to the Gucci label when Pilati was given YSL, was removed earlier this year must have been a reminder to Pilati that his Gucci Group bosses have the patience of investors, not saints.

Pilati's YSL has a courtly, timeless quality which keeps faith with the values of this most chic of Parisian labels. Saint Laurent motifs - polka dots, sheer blouses, pencil skirts - were dotted throughout yesterday's collection, presented on a blood-red catwalk under the domed glass roof of the Grand Palais gallery. There were elements of Pilati trademarks, too: the pom-pom trims, the bubble-shaped skirts, the ecclesiastical capes and ruffs. Daywear was neat and perfectly proportioned - shift dresses, skirt suits with cropped bolero jackets, belts with everything - but eveningwear, all flamenco ruffles and bubblegum pinks, was a little more pomp than (Oscar) ceremony.

Louis Vuitton's show took the traditional closing slot on the final evening of Paris fashion week. It was followed by a party to celebrate the opening of the label's new flagship store on the Champs Elysées, a store which the label has said it hopes will bring back glamour to the famous shopping street.