A crisp summer morning with Stella McCartney

PARIS - Crisp and fresh, Stella McCartney on Monday sent out a ready-to-wear wardrobe both sexy and sensible, perfect for stepping out on a sunny summer morning, as she opened day seven of Paris Fashion Week.

As always, Sir Paul McCartney turned out for his daughter's spring-summer show staged in the opulent salons of the Paris Opera house, alongside the actress Charlotte Rampling and US pop artist Mya.

Sleeveless, sheer linear dresses were patterned with elliptical shapes in bright orange or black, sometimes layered under a see-through blouse for a subtle play on transparency.

There was a boy-girl thing going on with low slung, belted kimono-style dresses, one in vivid green slit above the knee, or on suits of black or white with flowing pants and wide, sharp cut shoulders.

And for cocktail time, there was more trompe l'oeil play on transparency with black bustier dresses of layered broderie anglaise.

Later on Monday, the French house Leonard showcased the debut collection by its new designer Raffaele Borriello, in a gallery of the Grand Palais exhibition hall.

Leonard's prints have a strong fan base in Asia, and Borriello put prints at the heart of his line, citing 1960s and 70s poolside parties as his inspiration.

Graphic leaf-patterns in yellow on black came on tiny mini dresses of silk jersey, or a long swishy one cut in a V at the back and slashed at the thigh.

A black leather dress had a leaf-pattern cut out in transparency at the skirts and arms, while a sheer top and skirt picked out the same motif in glossy leather.

Three little dresses in a white-backed flower motif offered a brief break from the flow of colour as Borriello showed a carousel of graphic bamboo prints in green and gold, or the opening leaf-pattern repeated in pink on black.