PARIS • The crowd saw two cats - named Pumpkin and Blanket - on the Louis Vuitton catwalk.

There was a dog too, called Leon.

Actually, the animals were illustrations adorning a capsule collection of accessories that Grace Coddington - creative director at large for American Vogue magazine - had done in a collaboration with Vuitton designer Nicolas Ghesquiere.

The cats are her real-life pets while the dog belongs to him.

Earlier this week in France, guests had a preview of Vuitton's cruise collection in a show that also paid tribute to Coddington, 77.

She is credited with creating some of fashion's most memorable imagery and is known as Amazing Grace to her many fans.

Ghesquiere even sent several red-haired models weaving down a catwalk between Miro sculptures at the Maeght Foundation art gallery and gardens - in a nod to Coddington's own trademark mane.

She was a longtime right-hand woman of Vogue editor Anna Wintour and star of a 2009 documentary about the iconic magazine, The September Issue.

Ghesquiere said he wanted to celebrate how Coddington juxtaposes clothes and designs in a way no one else would dare to. He tried to recreate that glorious individuality in 59 looks which covered her time as a model in the London of the swinging 1960s right up to the present.

With Coddington looking on, actress Jennifer Connelly read from her memoir, Grace, as the models traipsed around the artworks in the gardens at Saint Paul de Vence.

Film stars Emma Stone, Isabelle Huppert and Lea Seydoux were also in the front row to see a collection that was strong on a typically Coddington mix of short skirts, Prince of Wales check jackets and lots of spots, stripes and flower motifs.

And the crowd went wild over the cats and dog.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE