At the Paris Spring-Summer 2009 Couture Fashion shows last January, the shows’ front rows barely insinuated the current global economic crisis.

The three-day affair displayed designers’ haute couture (custom-made apparel) for numerous high-end clientele, buyers and the media who still fancy one-of-a-kind commodities.

A few designers decided against putting on a show for the Spring-Summer 2009 couture fashion event. From 23 designers the previous season, the number is down to 20.

However, the most renowned names in the industry such as Chanel, Dior and Givenchy were there for the 3-day couture fashion affair, and showcased haute-couture gowns with precise architectural shapes and overstated ruffles in an assortment of bright colors.

It was a decent turn out for the designers who presented at the Paris SS-09 couture fashion shows this season despite the economic downturn.

Apparently unfazed by the plummeting stock markets, the ultra-rich still spend (a lot) when offered something new and fabulous.

Heidi Dillon, founder and CEO of The Fashionistas (a non-profit organization that celebrates the art of fashion) reports that attendance stayed steady from previous season, though with more interest in heirloom-like items rather than trendy numbers.

"Haute couture is the high art. People are still going to go out and see the shows," explains Dillon.