Beauty gets theatrical at Paris Fashion Week

If there has been a running theme at the Autumn/Winter 2015-16 shows this Paris Fashion Week, it has surely been the blurring of boundaries between the catwalk and the stage.

Yet while the collections have certainly been dramatic, the theatrical beauty looks have also had tongues wagging. Bold, conceptual, makeup that acts as a fearless mashup of physical enhancement, artistic expression and disguise seems to be the order of the day here.

It was a stance taken at Maison Margiela, where primary colors and fluorescent hues were arranged in tribal compositions which managed to be both fun and poetic. Geometric eyes painted out in dark shades with a thick, bright understripe and a hot pink lid gave the impression of flags and complemented a square three-dimensional lip.

Things got even more interesting over at Givenchy, where Riccardo Tisci sent models down the runway with 1920s-style kiss curls, giant facial gems and heavy-looking septum rings channelling handlebar moustaches. The overall effect was a throwback to the silver screen of old and its Latino stars.

Vivienne Westwood, never one to shy away from drama, used her commitment to climate change as the departure point for her collection. Models' faces served as canvases painted with earthy motifs inspired by roots, branches and growth, with disheveled, bohemian hair complementing the look.

How the approach filters down to the streets of the world's cities in the coming months remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain -- beauty is bold for Fall/Winter 2015.