PARIS, France — The opening looks at the Mugler show today created a feeling of deja-vu: the short, graphic and asymmetric dresses worn with pointy flats immediately reminded one of the Paco Rabanne code as it keeps being rewritten by Julien Dossena, who actually shares a dry and athletic sensibility with Mugler creative director David Koma.

As the collection progressed into a series of curvaceous scuba dresses, skintight pants and futuristic mermaid gowns, the comparison faded, however, and the Mugler codes appeared more evident, at least in the way Koma keeps updating them: streamlined and a tad galactic. This made for a fine outing — but just fine. The erotic magic that was a Mugler signature is still missing.