John Galliano has stepped away from his usual fantastic spectacle to deliver a romantic, elegant and consummately wearable collection for Dior Haute Couture fall/winter 2008/2009.
Front row guests such as Liv Tyler, Anna Wintour and Anna Piagi saw light and summery re-interpretations of Dior’s classic shapes. Each piece featured light construction, stripped back corsetry and waist cinching to produce a saucy edge.
Englishman Galliano is quoted as saying he channelled Irving Penn’s 1950s photographs of Lisa Fonssagrives for his collection, which included a feather-light reinterpretation of Dior’s classic 1949 Venus gown.
The translucence of organza and tulle worn without a slip, a trend also shown at our own RAFW, is set to be a look du jour come the warmer months.
Dior dresses France’s first lady Carla Bruni, and many of the pieces have a practical elegance that seem to be inspired by her natural style and grace. The make up, less heavy than previous years, features the high arched brows she is famous for.
The most privileged women from around the globe will be queuing at Dior’s atelier in the a.m. to secure these pieces. These high end customers know that once they’re sold they will not be re-created.
Couture bosses are confident citing high double-digit sales gains last year and predicting strong attendance this week from a growing range of clients, many of whom are travelling from the Middle East, Russia and Asia, where the rich are getting richer and wealth is booming.
Sidney Toledano, president of Christian Dior, said an increase in couture sales of more than 35 percent last year and a "strong double-digit" growth so far this year. "The demand for very, very high-end products continues to be very strong. Very rich people are not suffering from the crisis. The workshops have been very busy," he said.