Paris Fashion Week A/W 2008-9: Christian Dior

There's nothing guaranteed to life my spirits than a picture of the wide-eyed Masha, except maybe a picture of the wide-eyed Masha with eye make-up that makes her peepers even bigger!I thought the 'dead socialite' look had died a death when Rachel Zoe fell out of favour with her LA starlets but at Christian Dior the look was well and truly alive Galliano hemmed in his usual kookyness to produce a retro slice of psychedelia.

Reminding me of Jackie O through a kaleidoscope the dresses, suits and coats heavily referenced the '60s and came in a glittering array of colours. Take away the outlandish make-up and hair though and you can see the collection is another example of the recession-led conservatism that has been seeping onto the catwalks during the last few weeks. It probably wont be setting fashion editorials on fire but fortunately the bright colours lift the collection out of the ordinary.

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Paris Haute Couture S/S '08: Christian Dior

Our US sister blog Shiny Style have been busy reporting on the Christian Dior couture show in Paris, which once again, successfully captured the imagination in colour, structure and detail.

This really is why John Galliano is one of my all-time favourite designers - his penchant for drama, it seems, is limitless.

"The colours! The lightness! The embroidery! It was magical," Diane Kruger told IHT's Suzy Menkes backstage.

The architecture of lightness and volume in this whirlwind of extreme colour took Galliano's vision of John Singer Sargent's portrait of Madame X to a whole other level. Origami-style structures refused to be weighed down by heavy decoration such as embroidery, plastic flowers and clumps of sparkly bits.

Topping off each masterpiece was a frizzed high hairdos and saucer-style hats in a '60s vibe. Models were perched on typically crazy Dior platforms to perform for flash-bulbing photographers. It's a shame that we may not get to see any of it on the Oscars red carpet.


Amid a crisis on the stock markets yesterday, it seems that fantasy at the highest end on the catwalks will not be sacrificed. "Haute couture is the place for dreams," said Galliano. Amen to that!

[Images: Rex / Catwalking.com via Getty]

The Essence of Glamour

By DZIREENA MAHADZIR

starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my

The largest Dior regional fashion presentation was held in Korea last week and Starmag was there to celebrate 1940s glam, the gorgeous celebrities and of course, the label’s Fall-Winter 2007/08 Ready-to-Wear collection.

SEATED in the front row right at the end of the catwalk, the Malaysian press had the best seats in the house for a close-up view of Dior’s Fall-Winter 2007/08 collection and of actress Maggie Q, who walked right in front of us prior to the show to strike a pose at the end of the runway.
She was wearing something black and slinky, looked perfectly glamorous and had gotten the Hollywood-tan-and-highlighted-hair look down pat.


Also seen on the catwalk (and during the fabulous dinner after) was Chinese supermodel Du Juan, the first Asian model to be featured on the cover of French Vogue magazine. She has been a catwalk darling since her debut at the Spring-Summer 2006 Haute Couture shows in Paris last year.

Still, despite all the celebrity appeal, the real “star” of this show was none other than Dior’s newest fashion collection, presented in Seoul’s Papertainer Museum, an environmentally friendly structure constructed from recycled shipping containers and large tubes of paper rolls.

Speaking of structure and construction, there was plenty of that, not only on the catwalk but also on the guests. The dress code was “40s Glam”, but it was ignored in favour of shapes, texture and structured pieces which ranged from cocktail dresses, two-piece ensembles and lots of skirts and jackets. The guests themselves made for an interesting fashion parade, and as expected, there were those who turned in up in their pick of the new collection.


If you thought designer John Galliano was fantastically flamboyant with his Madame Butterfly collection for the Spring-Summer 2006 Haute Couture collection, for the Fall-Winter Ready-To-Wear line, he interpreted 40s chic with his usual aplomb but retained the Japanese-feel with beautiful origami influences in the form of intricate draping and folding. (The gigantic chair was there as it was during the Couture show, making the models look all the more doll-like in contrast.)

The models tottered about on sky high platforms, trying their best to carefully make their way to the end of the runway without toppling over. In fact, the shoes threatened to eclipse the clothes as the audience tried not to wince each time a girl stumbled, and several did. One even tumbled to her knees at the finale and had to be helped up.

Still, Galliano, with his extraordinarily glamorous collection, made you yearn for the days when the stars looked like stars, and managed to steer our focus to the fabulousness of his creations despite the insanity of his shoes!


The clothes had been flown in from Paris and came in an amazing array of colours ranging from fuchsia and purple to electric blue. It was one gorgeous moment after another, as furs, feathers and folds literally flounced down the runway.

Sleek skirt suits, jackets with pleated details, tiered, ruffled and narrow skirts, delicate embroidery, dresses that hugged the frame and python jackets... they were all part of the new look. But what caught the eye most was the beautiful draping and folds found on dresses, skirts and coats.

How could one not marvel at the mastery of the origami-like folds of an absolutely beautiful orange gown with petal-like furls at the skirt? Or on a pistachio green strapless tiered dress, or on a matte gold, belted one with slightly puffed short sleeves that were pleated to cross the neck leaving the shoulders bare?

When Du Juan sashayed down the catwalk, did an about turn and struck a pose in a gorgeous pale pink, off-one-shoulder gown sprinkled with beautiful beading and the skirt falling in folds down the side in a trailing hem, it certainly was a fashion “moment”. If you’ve ever wanted to be the essence of glamour, then you have to look no further for your cue.

From Runway to Red Carpet

Fashion forward Cameron Diaz sported this Christian Dior dress back in May at the Art Institute Gala in NYC, while John Galliano's model rocked the frock at the Christian Dior 2007 Fall Couture Collection. You tell us, WHO OWNED IT?

Christian Dior's Fashion Accessory Forecast

Like we reported earlier, John Galliano marked his 10th year as the creative helm of iconic fashion house Christian Dior with one of the most extravagant fashion shows in history. The show also marked the 60th anniversary of Dior fashion.

Galliano, who credits painters, fashion illustrators and photographers as his inspiration, brilliantly paired bold colors with exquisite details; not just for his couture dresses, but also for the accessories.

From sky high wedge platforms to straw and feathered hats, Galliano pulled out all the stops to ensure the 60th anniversary of the house of Dior was a moment to remember.

When it comes to fall fashion, its quite obvious the forecast calls for big and bold. Think vivid colors, exquisite details, and extreme elegance.

Source: hollyscoop.com