9am - Walk into barrage of security at the Grand Palais - usual scramble to find backstage pass - thank smiling stalwart from Rue Cambon who waves me through. 

Here it is focused, controlled - Peter and Sam and their teams have been flat out since 5.30am – the girls look pearly, beautiful – their pearl piercings and scatter of pins in their hair look like drops of water.

Rehearsal complete - the timing is crucial as the giant cockleshell has to open at the right moment for Florence to emerge and sing her siren song.

Drink too many espressos with Olivier Wicker from Liberation. We try and work out why Karl is such a perfectionist.

Good to see Freja and Stella - missed them this summer. Have long talk about tweed and woollen mills with Stella - every stitch has its story.

Panic - first outfits and I'm not in the sound box yet with Michel Goubert (the most privileged seat in the house - thank you Michel and Stephen, Etienne, Stephan and Florence's sound guys).

Love the element of performance in the sound box - the synch with the girls is risky - Etienne tells Guillaume backstage to up the tempo – the collection floods across the white sand in a wash of shell pink, coral, glistening sting ray and luminous sharkskin and abstracted fish scales.