Paris Fashion Week Pictures: Haute Couture 2017 Recap For Dior, Chanel, Armani, Valentino And Elie Saab

The Paris Haute Couture spring 2017 shows officially came to a close on Friday. The decadent week-long event set the stage for the season's reigning trends, and designers truly delivered a purely spectacular escape -- despite the tumultuous political climate of months past.

Reigning fashion houses like Dior, Chanel and Elie Saab whisked viewers away on a cloud of fantasy. "Drama" and "escapism" proved to be the prevailing themes across the collections, with sweeping, floor-length gowns and jewel-encrusted accessories taking center stage.

Valentino debuted a series of monastic, high-neck gowns in virginal white, while designers like Guo Pei and Elie Saab debuted gowns worthy of a scene in "Game of Thrones" or “The Hunger Games.”

Elie Saab: The Lebanese designer is known for elaborate gowns and romantic collections, and this season was no exception. Sprays of jewels and beaded bodices and feminine silhouettes confirmed the Saab’s status as a purveyor of classic couture. A few looks even featured models wearing gilded sunglasses.

Valentino: At Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli, who became creative director of Valentino along with former partner Maria Grazia Chiuri in 2008, assumed sole responsibility of the collection for the spring season. Greek myths and stories were the inspiration behind that this particular collection and the pure, flowing gowns, featuring high-kecks, long sleeves and pleated skirts. The collection was a take on minimalist restraint for the brand, although a couple pieces from the collection gowns in Valentino’s signature red color. Piccioli called for a moment of silence to honor the life of famed Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani, who died in December.

Armani Privé: Armani Privé offered the ultimate power-dressing-meets-couture concept with this spring collection. Nipped-waist blazers with strong shoulders and black trousers offered the ultimate take on the suit for the fashion maven. Working with a color pallet of orange, black and marigold, the Armani pieces were a definitive departure from the romantic trappings noted in other collections.

Chanel: If there are two things that fashion die-hards can expect from a Chanel show it’s a palatial venue packed to the brim with A-List celebrities. More was truly more for Karl Lagerfeld’s spring 2017 couture collection. Feathered dresses and glitter and sequined bodices – all in pale pinks and washed-out blues – were highlights of the collection. Of course, classic skirt suits designed in the famous Chanel tweed punctuated the gowns and shimmering frocks. Finally, "it-girl" of the moment, Lily-Rose Depp, closed the show wearing a voluminous ruffled gown and was swept across the mirrored hall on Lagerfeld’s arm.

Dior: Dior featured one of the most memorable venues of the week -- a replica of a verdant garden landscape within a tent. The show’s venue was set in the gardens of the Musée Rodin, Vogue reported. The show itself was nothing short of spectacular, likely because it was Maria Grazia Chiuri’s official design debut at Dior (Chiuri was a former creative director at Valentino). Flowering bushes and topiaries made up the “runway” while crystal chandeliers hung within the tent spaces’ interior. Chiuri’s debut collection for the house breathed new life into the signature Dior “New Look” (a classic silhouette that features an accentuated waist with a wide skirt). Black-hooded cloaks and capes were followed up with gorgeous gowns, and models wore delicate masks cut out in the shapes of butterflies, dragonflies and birds.