Cheongsam dresses were served up in sequin zebra stripes and giraffes emblazoned Mao-collared pajama suits. Pencil skirts in jewel tone satin were paired with sweaters with sequined lions and wide, low-slung sequin belts that glimmered darkly like Chinese lacquer. Spaghetti-strapped gowns were hung with tassels or entirely covered in purple and fuchsia beaded fringe.

With Wednesday's gorgeous collection, the label's celebrity designer Marc Jacobs managed to inject the collection's darkly seductive glamour with a dose of humour and self-aware kitschiness: You could almost imagine the models as high-class gangster molls from a 1970s-era Chinese mob movie with a cheesy plot but sumptuous costumes.

It was Jacobs' strongest collection for the French luxury supernova in at several seasons - much better than winter 2010's ladylike 1950s looks in thick tweed that made the curvy supermodels look like frumps.

That said, it would have been nice to see Jacobs stick with last season's bodacious models, with their generous womanly forms, instead of the usual cast of teenage waifs that took back Vuitton's catwalk on Wednesday.