A winter garden of silk and velvet florals saw a Paris catwalk blossom on 2 March, as Rochas presented its autumn/winter 2016 collection at the ready-to-wear fashion week. Creative director Alessandro Dell'Acqua sent the models down the catwalk in delicate pussy-bow blouses trimmed with ruffles, but pairing the feminine silhouettes with chunky platform sandals.

Dell'Acqua said the idea was to inject some summer sunshine into his autumn/winter line. "I started with the winter garden mixing with the lightness, the effortlessness, the younger situation, the femininity and the sensuality. I want to mix the colours, the material, to keep it very light and add a little summer situation but in the winter mood," he said backstage after the show.

"The flowers, the colours, the romanticism is like the positivity and for me in this moment it's very important. For Rochas in the past it's a very dramatic situation, a dramatic collection. Now I want a lightness mood," he added, saying that in the current climate, this is what women wanted.

Dell'Acqua turned back the clock, matching chunky platforms with knee socks in bold block colours, and swinging bell-bottoms in a 1970s-inspired palette of forest green and burnt orange. A delicate cherry blossom pattern was woven through the clothes from the sandals up through to the skirts and winter coats, making for a unified collection.

Paris Fashion Week runs until 9 March with major labels such as Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton still to show their collections.

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