PARIS (Agence France-Presse)—Hedi Slimane reworked the tuxedo and tails for a sophisticated Latin look at Dior on Jan. 31, while Givenchy offered cool, urban chic, wrapping up five days of autumn/winter 2006/07 menswear shows.

Actresses Charlotte Rampling and Catherine Deneuve, Michael Stipe, singer of rock band R.E.M. and U.S. film director Gus Van Sant provided a glamorous front row at the Dior show in the Tennis Club de Paris.

For winter, Slimane has artistically played with the tuxedo and tailcoat, shortening the tail or reshaping the front. He covered waists in satin cummerbunds and tied bows at the neck.

The models wore their hair greased down and looked like matadors, especially in a highly-worked shimmering bolero over a black shirt. The slim silhouette contrasted with swinging wide pants that covered the shoe and were paired with a striped T-shirt or long jacket.

For daytime, a trench or belted coat is offered, but come nightfall, the Dior man drapes a dramatic black cape over his shoulders to head off to the opera or a concert. Indeed, Slimane ended his show on a musical note: Two violinists and a cellist appeared on a gallery above the catwalk to play to delighted fans.

British designer Ozwald Boateng savoured the moment on the super-long runway at the end of his upbeat show for Givenchy. Smiling broadly, he danced, clapped and paused to look in among the fashion crowd seated along his catwalk in the Pompidou Centre.

With his Savile Row background, the 38-year-old designer, who has just been awarded an OBE in the British New Year Honours, poured his talent for tailoring into crafting a highly wearable wardrobe dominated by crisply-cut smart casuals, teamed mostly with a tie.

Paris chic can be comfortable and laid-back, he seemed to say.

Jeans were deliberately pale and teamed with shirts and ties; tops were hooded or close-fitting V-neck sweaters; well-proportioned coats and short bomber-style jackets rounded off the easy contemporary look.

The designer also offered equally sharp, svelte suits, buttoned low and in glossy black. But equally on display was his fondness of color, with emerald and bottle greens and electric blue for a bold twist.

U.S. designer Thomas Engelhart called on different shades of black for his youthful and close-fitting collection for Thierry Mugler of cigarette pants and short-cut jackets.

He used red graphic motifs on knitwear, and mixed fake monkey and crocodile effect leather with cashmere, wool and alpaca, while leather was applied to collars and sleeves.

Shifting gear, wool jackets in heather or earth brown, again with leather trim, were teamed with leather trousers for a slightly more sedate style inspired by English chic.