Sharjah24 – Reuters: With a collection called "Toxique, c'est chic", which showcases the knitting techniques he perfected under COVID-19 lockdown at home, James Giltner is among aspiring designers stepping into the limelight in an unusual edition of Paris' fashion week.

The 10 days of high-end catwalk shows usually held in the French capital will be replaced by online presentations and films, echoing a similar set-up in New York, London and Milan.

But as well as top brands, ranging from Christian Dior and Vivienne Westwood to Dries Van Noten, 48 students on the cusp of graduating from Paris' Institut Francais de la Mode (IFM) will also get a moment in the sun for the first time - with a filmed catwalk show set to kick off the extravaganza on Monday (March 1), billed as a tribute to the young "COVID generation" disrupted by the pandemic.

Giltner's fantastical creations, with three-dimensional short dresses with silvery whirls recalling shells and molluscs, were heavily influenced by the knitting craft he explored in his bedroom during the pandemic, he said.