No-fur Stella McCartney fuses men's, women's styles in Paris

In a fall-winter season that's featured a fair share of fur on the runway in spite of growing resistance, Stella McCartney's show was the ecological antidote at Paris Fashion Week.

Guests including actresses Kristin Scott Thomas and Isabelle Huppert were served up green juices with spirulina before the McCartney's beautifully uplifting leather-and-fur-free collection inside the ornate Paris Opera.

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Here are some highlights of Monday's shows, including Giambattista Valli and Alexander McQueen.

STELLA MCCARTNEY'S HUMOR, PASSION, STYLE

There's so much to feel good about in a Stella McCartney show. Monday's ever-imaginative styles used artful deconstruction to produce a fresh fusion of menswear and womenswear styles.

A model wears creations for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday, March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Models wear creations for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

A man's suit was turned inside out and turned into a fluid dress with bare seams. Suit pants were cut at the knee as if they'd been guillotined. And a minimalist gray waistcoat featured a chic couture-like peplum silhouette.

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Statement knitwear was a key theme. Traditional Aran sweaters — in big cable knit — hit a surreal note in multicolor with huge sleeves that made the arms completely disappear.

McCartney, a famed vegan, thus proved you don't need fur to be glamorous and stay warm in winter.

The 46 styles were served up with an uplifting, foot-tapping soundtrack that provoked a moment of humor.

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

"Where the hell's my phone?" it boomed out. "You're holding it."

IPhone-addicted influencers smiled in a moment of self-reflection.

MIXING MENSWEAR AND WOMENSWEAR

Stella McCartney joined the legion of fashion houses — such as Givenchy and Saint Laurent — which are now showcasing designs for men during the womenswear week.

The merging styles maximize the commercial impact for each season, but they also serve to blur gender lines and encourage the world to not see gender (and dressing) as so binary.

Monday's show marked the official launch of the British-American designer's menswear capsule with eight looks modeled on men. They styles — like a big blown-up check coat and an oversize cable knit sweater — mirrored many of the women's styles.

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI'S CHIC '70s

Long, flowing and graceful were the silhouettes of the season for Giambattista Valli — who attracted socialite Olivia Palermo to his front row in the concrete labyrinth basement of Paris' Palais de Tokyo.

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

The venue lent itself more to chaos than grace — and many guests were given erroneous seats or otherwise got lost.

Yet when the beautifully-executed collection began, it was all about patterns — more than making up for the earlier confusion. Checks, "GBV" monograms, florals, dots and thick stripes gave a kinesis to the styles, which had a feel for the 70s.

The ethnic styles in that era were a design touchstone — such as geometric markings on a bodice or myriad hanging pendants.

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Center parts and glittery face paint on the models combined with these styles to evoke a very chic Woodstock hippie.

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

FASHION DIPLOMACY

Luxury is one of France' most prized industries, worth an estimated $22 billion.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte were engaging in some high-profile Fashion Week diplomacy by hosting a star-studded dinner at the Elysee Palace on Monday night called "Choose France."

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

It's an event aimed at promoting investment in the French luxury industry.

Guests are expected to include young designers as well as established figures such as Lebanese designer Elie Saab as well as Louis Vuitton's creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere, who dresses France's first lady.

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Models wear creations for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

ECCENTRIC INVITATIONS FOR FASHIONISTAS

The age of email doesn't seem to have left a mark on the fashion industry's antiquated system of invitations.

Season after season, gasoline-guzzling couriers crisscross Paris to personally deliver the ever-elaborate, often hand-made, fashion show invites.

Famed eco-warrior Stella McCartney's invite was among the wackiest, comprising of a vacuum-packed pair of bright yellow socks.

Models wear creations for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for Giambattista Valli ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

"These socks are made re-purposing post-consumer and post-industrial textile waste to create high quality up-cycled years through a process that uses zero water, zero dyes and no harsh chemicals," said the invitation.

Some fashion insiders were seen wearing the socks that were made of 85% recycled textiles.

A model wears a creation for Valentin Yudashkin ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

A model wears a creation for Valentin Yudashkin ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

A model wears a creation for Valentin Yudashkin ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

A model wears a creation for Valentin Yudashkin ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

Japanese fashion guru Yohji Yamamoto's invitation, meanwhile, was of practical use for fashionistas who rush from show to show. It was a makeup mirror that could be hung round the neck.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN'S METAMORPHOSIS

Transformation was at the core of Sarah Burton's fashion ode Monday night.

A model wears a creation for the Alexander McQueen ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday March 5, 2018. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation for the Alexander McQueen ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday March 5, 2018. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Models wear creations for the Alexander McQueen ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday March 5, 2018. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

The Alexander McQueen designer used the idea of the metamorphosing insect — a softly armored Scarab beetle or a butterfly — and creatively flew with it.

Silk dresses with a vivid, all-encompassing butterfly print gave way to unfurling black leather bustiers and sections of colorful material that peeped out underneath a black tuxedo like butterfly wings emerging from a black cocoon.

Models wear creations for the Alexander McQueen ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday March 5, 2018. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation for the Alexander McQueen ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday March 5, 2018. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation for the Alexander McQueen ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday March 5, 2018. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

But the roving imaginative explorations were handled tightly. It was a collection that stuck closely to the house's signature silhouettes of strong shoulders, narrow waists and exaggerated hip sections.

The idea of the insect transformation was also metaphorical from Burton, who's known as an "intellectual" designer. It produced the strongest parts of the collection.

Model Arizona Muse poses for photographers prior to the Stella McCartney ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday March 5, 2018. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Model Arizona Muse poses for photographers prior to the Stella McCartney ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday March 5, 2018. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

She developed on from the "morphing of one creature into another" into the morphing of "one garment into another."

A tight black military coat cut an interesting style on model Stella Tennant as it transformed into a billowing striped, fringed poncho at the hem.

LEONARD LOSES AN "R''

A fashion show is a 5-minute window that shapes how a brand is viewed for the next half year — the most intense manifestation of image in an image-driven industry.

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

There was thus much consternation at Parisian house Leonard when one of the giant letters of the show decor fell as artistic director Christine Phung came out to acknowledge applause after the chic, floral-infused collection.

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

A model wears a creation for Stella McCartney's ready-to-wear fall-winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Monday , March 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Phung was seemingly unaware that the moment was less than picture perfect: the "R'' in "LEONARD" at the foot of the runway had come loose and was captured by the press.

PARIS (AP) — A man wearing a fake explosive vest and making threats was detained Friday outside the Iranian Consulate in Paris after police locked down the area, authorities said. His motive was unclear.

The incident came at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, and as Paris is on high security alert as it gears up to host the Summer Olympics in three months.

The suspect had been convicted for setting fire to the Iranian Embassy gates last year in what he called a protest against the Iranian government, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. The consulate and embassy are part of the same compound, in the ritzy 16th arrondissement of Paris and near the Seine River.

Iranian authorities did not comment publicly on what happened.

The man was spotted around 11 a.m. outside the consulate, and a witness told police he had a grenade and an explosives vest, according to a Paris police official. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to be publicly named under police policy.

Elite police forces and soldiers surrounded the area and barred traffic during an hours-long security intervention.

Inside the consulate, the man “allegedly made threats of violent acts,” but then left the building alone, the prosecutor's office said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Police then detained him, and found no weapons on him or his vehicle, the police official said. The prosecutor's office said the explosives vest turned out to be fake.

The suspect is in custody, and the Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation into death threats. It said investigators are trying to determine the motive for the action.

Authorities did not name the suspect but said he was born in Iran in 1963.

He was known to authorities and received an eight-month suspended sentence by the Paris Criminal Court in October for setting car tires on fire at the gate of the Iranian Embassy in Paris in September 2023. He said it was a protest act against the Iranian government, according to the prosecutor's office.

As part of that sentence, the prosecutor’s statement said, the man was also banned from carrying a weapon and had a two-year ban on appearing in the 16th arrondissement. The sentence was pending because of the defendant’s appeal, it added.

Associated Press writers Thomas Adamson in Paris and Barbara Surk in Nice, France, contributed to this report.

Elite police officers from the BRI (Brigade de recherche et d'intervention) or Research and Intervention Brigade, leave after an operation near the Iranian consulate, Friday, April 19, 2024 in Paris. Paris police said they are carrying out an operation at the Iranian consulate after a witness reported seeing a man outside carrying a grenade and an explosives vest. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

Elite police officers from the BRI (Brigade de recherche et d'intervention) or Research and Intervention Brigade, leave after an operation near the Iranian consulate, Friday, April 19, 2024 in Paris. Paris police said they are carrying out an operation at the Iranian consulate after a witness reported seeing a man outside carrying a grenade and an explosives vest. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

Police officers patrol near the Iranian consulate, Friday, April 19, 2024 a in Paris. Paris police said Friday they are carrying out an operation at the Iranian consulate after a witness reported seeing a man outside carrying a grenade and an explosives vest. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

Police officers and rescue worker wait for instructions bar the the Iranian consulate, Friday, April 19, 2024 a in Paris. Paris police said Friday they are carrying out an operation at the Iranian consulate after a witness reported seeing a man outside carrying a grenade and an explosives vest. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)