"Our thoughts and prayers are with Ukrainians. We are inspired by their dignity, resilience and dedication to freedom," Olivier Rousteing wrote to his 7.8 million Instagram followers.

His message was accompanied by a blue and yellow landscape like the Ukrainian flag, before the Balmain show in the early evening.

He announces that he has made a donation to the emergency fund of the UN Refugee Agency and invites people to do the same.

The artistic director of Balmain, Olivier Rousteing, greets the public after a parade in Paris, March 2, 2022 STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN AFP

The number of Ukrainian refugees has jumped by nearly 200,000 in 24 hours, according to the latest UN count published on Wednesday, bringing to 874,000 the number of people who have fled since February 24, the advance of the Russian army in Ukraine.

"It's hard to feel good focusing on the shows and the clothes, when we listen with heavy hearts to the latest news," said Olivier Rousteing.

Padded corsets, tops and gloves resembling futuristic bulletproof vests, golden shields: the outfits presented at the parade seemed to reflect the atmosphere of war, even though they were designed long before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Balmain show in Paris, March 2, 2022 STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN AFP

Elements of "protection" already seen the day before in Dior's high-tech collection, where airbag corsets were worn on suits.

This marks a noticeable shift in aesthetics from last season, where the focus was on hope for recovery from the pandemic.

But the front row was just as glamorous at Balmain with soccer player Neymar, fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier and tennis player Serena Williams.

The artistic director of Balenciaga, the Georgian Demna Gvasalia, who was the first to denounce "Russian aggression against Ukraine" and put the Ukrainian flag on Instagram, for his part announced on Wednesday that he had made a donation to the WFP (Programme UN World Food Fund) to support the first humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees.

He also indicated that Balenciaga, whose parade will take place on Sunday, was opening its social networks in the coming days "to relay information about the situation in Ukraine".

While Russian athletes, musicians and artists are massively ostracized, the fashion world avoids taking a stand on the third day of Paris Fashion Week.

Vogue Ukraine magazine has called on the fashion industry and luxury groups to "immediately cease all collaboration on the market of the Russian abuser".

Questioned by AFP on Wednesday, the Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion indicated that it did not "communicate" on this subject, referring to its previous press release.

Its president, Ralph Toledano, called there to "live the parades of the days to come with the gravity which is essential in these dark hours".

© 2022 AFP