Muppets ran amok at the Jean-Charles de Castelbajac show on Tuesday, their googly-eyed faces emblazoning sheath dresses and sharp suits while their stuffed bodies became muffs or even a Kermit the Frog rock star shaggy coat.
The whimsical French designer also sent out looks that layered long locks of blond hair beneath clear plastic and a snarling tiger bubble skirt that looked it had swallowed the model up to her thighs.
"I like to take institutions and shake them up," Castelbajac told reporters in a backstage interview, adding that he considered his winter 2010 pret-a-porter collection was made up of "classic looks that are a bit off."
That was the understatement of the century.
OK, a sequin dress with Animal's red furry faces splashed across it — that's a "bit off."
But an oversized glam rock coat made entirely from Kermit the Frog stuffed animals? Well, that's off the charts.
Other demented-but-brilliant pieces included a leopard print hooded jacket with a collar of sharp white teeth and a sweaterdress with a knitted horse, its silky mane running down the sleeve.
With its absurd inventiveness and rainbow of saturated colors, Catelbajac's show was a welcome respite from the parade of sober black looks that dominated other Paris catwalks.
As the Castelbajac models took a final spin around the runway, they showered the audience with fake dollar bills with President Obama's face replacing that of George Washington. A guest dressed in an orange panda costume cheered them on.