Gareth Pugh’s show last night featured a packed house and an expectant crowd. Rihanna, Michael Stipe and top editors and buyers filled a sizeable wing of Palais de Tokyo for what felt like Pugh’s second coming out at Paris Fashion Week.

The spring/summer ’10 collection was the designer’s glitziest production to date, and the princess-warrior clothes were designed to match. From Karlie Kloss’ first exit in a leather bolero atop a belted long sleeve gray dress to a suction tight leather pant suit sectioned off by zippers, the runway showcased a talent who is at once turning the page and staying true to his oeuvre.

The mood softened notably with rich liquid-like chiffons and mid-weight cottons, relaxed shoulders and floor-length silhouettes, all compounded by their solid execution. Gray dominated the palette of the long cinched waist battle—shimmery coats, shredded chiffon robes (some with cocoon-like hoods) and familiar deconstructed woven leather tops and bodycon dresses. Bone straight jackets showed bias cut chiffon attached and trailing to the floor, paired with dusty gray leather leggings.

Pugh takes a forward-looking approach to design, yet the saccharine sweet pop world is beginning to take the journey with him: s/s ’10 will only bring more excitement and more takers.

—Jason Campbell