Luxury brands staged dazzling displays Tuesday to showcase their made-to-measure haute couture creations, a thriving French specialty that relies on a highly skilled and aging work force.

Clients decked out in floor-length furs and glistening jewels turned out in force for the shows by Christian Lacroix, Chanel and Givenchy, reflecting strong demand for the high-end creations despite fears of a U.S. recession, rising energy prices and a weak dollar.

Passers-by peered through the windows of the Pompidou modern art museum, where Lacroix showed evening gowns in draped chiffon and ruffled satin that were a tribute to the work of the “petites mains,” as the seamstresses who work in couture workshops are known.

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