The news from Paris is that fresh faces are upending Fashion Week runways. We’re not talking newcomer designers, though—rather, established houses like Balmain, Alexander Wang, and Proenza Schouler grabbed headlines by sending makeup-free models down the catwalk to showcase their creations.

From left to right: Runway looks at Balmain, Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler.

Leave it to the City of Light to remind the design world how glowing the au naturel look can be. But, perhaps there’s more than what’s on the face of it. The Digital Luxury Group released rankings this past summer showing that Chanel has finally overtaken LVMH (the parent company of Louis Vuitton) to become the most sought-after global luxury brand in China. The determining factor? Beauty products. Although both conglomerates are commonly thought of as fashion houses, beauty represents a huge chunk of their dueling businesses, as well. So, it’s interesting to see that in China’s rapidly expanding luxury market Chanel is now outselling LVMH overall – thanks, in large part, to its newfound dominance in beauty.

All of this brings us back to Balmain, Alexander Wang, and Proenza Schouler – the David to Chanel and LVMH’s Goliath. These brands and others that eschewed makeup are fashion purists. And, some argue that their smaller, fashion-centric business model validates the artistry of their brands: no distractions, just design. It leads one to wonder whether last week’s runway faces in Paris were a pointed statement as they put the focus squarely on fashion versus beauty.

I, for one, am excited to see how this plays out.  David has lobbed the first stone; will Goliath feel the pain?  Time will tell.