Who doesn’t love a good guessing game? And what you saw, was by no means what you got at Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi’s latest haute couture offering in Paris. An explosion of opulent textures reigned supreme, as were bewildered mutterings of “is it, or isn’t it?”

With the backlash against fur an ever-contentious subject, and the likes of Gucci and Armani committed to going fur-free, it was always a question of what Fendi – which started out as a fur boutique in 1925 – was going to do next. Well, mind games of epic proportions is what.

Sequins packed tightly on a skirt-suit gave the swirled appearance of the real deal. Watercolour-esque strips of frayed chiffon were also deceiving. Not to say that real fur was sacked off completely, but the focus was on the brand adapting and thinking differently.

As well as fluffy faux and real textures galore (marabou plumes near-dusted the floor on one dress), there was also a futuristic element with caged waists, chiffon scales and slinky iridescent bodysuits, transforming the models into pastel birds of paradise/shimmering mermaid hybrids.

And with a nod to the sixties with razor-sharp partings, beehives and exaggerated winged liner thrown to the mix, it confirmed Fendi’s intention of a “dance between sublime tradition and new realities”.