With the credit crunch and threatened recession in the United States and Europe, luxury fashion houses courting new customers in the boom nations of China and India may find that Asian designers are not willing to be outmanoeuvred.

Arora, when he became the first Indian to show in ready-to-wear week in Paris last season, made it clear this was no Indian summer: he intended to make it all year round in the world's fashion capital.

This weekend, as the shows for next autumn-winter got under way, he was joined by fellow countryman Rajesh Pratap Singh from Rajasthan, who developed his label in Italy but has now decided to show in Paris.

"I have a lot of friends in Paris, my clothes are already sold here. It was only natural," he said.

Both events created a buzz, indicating the likelihood that they will carve out more prominent spots in the calendar in future.

Arora was inspired by warrior women, drawing on costume through the ages and cultures from gladiators, medieval knights in shining armour and Samurai to futuristic gear straight out of Star Wars.

His models wore fearsome face masks, all glinting sharp points, with gauntlets to the elbow and thigh-high boots.