Dior, Paris Fashion Week menswear

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Paris, France CNN  — 

The temperamental weather in Paris proved no match for the enthusiasm of fashion editors, celebrities and influencers who braved the strong mid-day sun and the threat of rain to watch the latest menswear collections – even as many shows took place outdoors.

After a few seasons of digital runways amid the Covid-19 pandemic, some designers challenged themselves to push the boundaries of physical presentations – from an acrobatic performance at Issey Miyake’s Homme Plissé to a recreation of the namesake designer’s childhood home and garden at Dior Men.

Rick Owens returned to his usual haunt at Palais de Tokyo with a runway presentation punctuated by three giant globes that were set ablaze, air-lifted and then dramatically dropped into the building’s fountain pool as models walked around its periphery. It was Instagram gold.

At the KidSuper show, designer Colm Dillane staged a live auction of paintings that inspired his collection, raising over $500,000 for foundations supporting young artists. “I wanted people to interact … and make it an experience. I had always wanted to do an art show as a fashion show, and people could participate in the auction,” Dillane told CNN Style.

Along with the collection's painterly motifs were accessories like gloves dipped in paint and brief cases filled with markers.