Gaultier's gutsy garb

Bra-zen ... A model wears Jean Paul Gaultier / AFP

Celebrating 30 years in style, fashion's bad boy revisited some of his naughtiest pieces - including the infamous conical bra, ostrich-feathered frocks and a floor-length sailor gown.

The retrospective was a retro-fabulous preview of his latest collection, winning applause from a star-studded crowd.

Olsen twins Mary-Kate and Ashley and burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese were enraptured by the clothes, which were signature pieces from his flamboyant and controversial career.

"I like the eccentricity and opulence," said von Teese, the equally eccentric wife of goth singer Marilyn Manson.

"Everything he does is so unique. He is continuously reinventing himself."

The latest range was a mix of old-school streetwear with a disco twist.

Model Lily Cole wore an emerald frock shortened in the front to reveal sporty Aladdin-style trousers and topped with a sleeveless baseball jacket.

Gaultier added to the circus atmosphere, leaping on the catwalk blowing a whistle - a performance which even drew a smile from the stony face of Anna Wintour, the US Vogue editor on whom Meryl Streep's character in the film The Devil Wears Prada is based.

Fashioning more controversy was veteran British designer Vivienne Westwood, who challenged the idea of excess with her collection show.

"I designed a sort of Barbie doll in a box, with a hole in her head, totally spoilt," said Westwood, whose models paraded belts reading "I am expensive".

"The message is ... we're spoilt and we have a responsibility to do something."

The fashion grand dame, who launched the '70s punk look, clashed fabrics and designs in patched dresses and a black suit with a Stetson hat.