The Garage at 66 Rue du Turenne is one of the most beautiful of the show spaces in Paris – an airy, elevated concrete loft with rough brick floors that is accessed via a sweeping ramp and cobbled driveway off the busy street in Le Marais. Stripped of the grandeur of epic venues such as the Grand Palais, The Tuileries or Palais de Tokyo, shows in this venue become pared back and offered a singular focus even before the music starts – that is, the garments and little else. It was this minimalist effect that resonated throughout the presentation of Kris Van Assche’s Spring Summer 2010 show on Sunday afternoon, allowing the subtle sophistication of his womenswear to shine. And shine it did.

Straight, middle parted hair and dark kohl eyes under heavy brows were the base for a bold, modern woman in a palette of crisp white, cloudy grey, graphite black and pale champagne. Through these delicate colours and in light wools, satin silks and diaphanous metallics, Kris showed a wardrobe of effortless tailoring – experimenting with extended, architectural puff shoulders, wrap jersey tops attached to soft blazers, and pleating volume into trousers that tapered at the ankle. Slim leather belts in black and tan snaked around hips and cinched waists, slipping delicately through jackets and trousers to define the body.

Simply put, Kris Van Assche yet again succeeded in translating his proven menswear strengths into a womenswear collection – with minimalist yet relaxed forms that uphold his personal aesthetic, transcending the ‘trendy’ to exist on a sleek, sophisticated plane.