Dior's Dash of Elegance
by Timothy Hagy | photographed by Yannis Vlamos

With a splash of color and a dash of grace, at times mirroring the elegance of a past age, John Galliano sent out a splendid collection for Dior on Tuesday afternoon. Models walked in front of a large stairwell, intended to replicate the Avenue Marceau company headquarters, and as if playing on the same theme, Galliano reworked the House codes in his own fanciful style. In pleats of tangerine chiffon, bustiers sprinkled in crystal, and hats dusted in plumes, that timeless recipe — glamor flirting with flamboyance — came back to life. The silhouette, tapered at the waist, looked reminiscent of the 50s.

With more than sixty different pieces, the collection was most notable for the evening wear - gowns, draped, runched, pleated and embroidered, and at times worn with elbow-length gloves.

If you like leather — the ostrich, crocodile and python would be enough to rock your world. If fur is your thing — the silver fox and sable might make you swoon.

In a fashion season overshadowed by pessimism and weighted down by austerity and darkness, Dior burst into beautiful, if excessive, exuberance. About the only black to be found was in the béret atop the head of an unusually subdued John Galliano.

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