Christian Dior Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

It was not the strongest collection of Galliano for the house of Christian Dior, but is was for sure a memorable one. Not only because of the scandal the designer caused last week, but also because of the fact Dior fired the designer, the speech that Sidney Toledano – chief executive of Dior – held before the show this afternoon  and the atelier that received a standing ovation at the end of the show. In his speech Mr  Toledano didn’t mention Galliano at all, but he decried racism while reminding guests of the long heritage and bright future of Dior (see  parts of the speech below)

Outside the showvenue – the Rodin Museum – the scene was a mob. Police closed the street to accomodate the hundreds of people invited to the show waiting to get in.

The collection – that was finished by the couture house’s staff – was ultra-feminine. It reflected flirty styles from the early 20th century – and seemed primed for flappers, knickered ruffians, and ladies in their boudoirs. Boots were over-the-knee and on platforms, and the bags were big and roomy – looks that haven’t been seen on other runways this season, where shoes and bags have tended to be more prim and structured.

Parts from the speech Mr Toledano gave before the start of the show (quoted from New York Times):

“Since its founding by Monsieur Dior, the House of Christian Dior has lived an extraordinary and wonderful story and has had the honor of embodying France’s image, and its values, all around the world. What has happened over the last week has been a terrible and wrenching ordeal to us all. It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer, however brilliant he may be. Such statements are intolerable because of our collective duty to never forget the Holocaust and its victims, and because of the respect for human dignity that is owed to each person and to all peoples. These statements have deeply shocked and saddened all at Dior who give body and soul to their work, and it is particularly painful that they came from someone so admired for his remarkable creative talent.”

…

“Christian Dior’s values were those of excellence in all that he undertook, of elegance and craftsmanship reflecting his unique talent.”

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“The heart of the House of Dior, which beats unseen, is made up of its teams and studios, of its seamstresses and craftsman, who work hard day after day, never counting the hours, and carrying on the values and the vision of Monsieur Dior.”

Daily favorites in Paris

Friday was Lanvin-day. Besides Balenciaga, Celine and the Japanes designers the fashionworld is eager to receive the message Alber Elbaz has to tell. His connection with women is unbelievable, he can sense them and translate their needs into modern, urban chic. As he did yesterday. But the collection is not complete with the beautiful and strong jewelry from designer Elie Top. For summer he got his inspiration from bees, flies and butterflies. I’ll have to start saving money now, I guess.

Also: the setup of the Lanvin shows is giving me goose-pimples all the time. A dark, long runway with just one accent (last season a stairway to heaven, yesterday a line of poles) and models that seem to appear from the dark. Their long walk builds up the tension.

When I saw the pictures of Yamamoto I was struck by the faded colors in one outfit. The show seemed very Yohji with big dresses, draped and folded. But I loved the way he mixed the colors with his signature black.

And then Dior. It was a very commercial and upbeat show, and that’s what it should be if they want to sell. It seems Galliano is only allowed to push the boundaries at haute couture, and that’s a pity. Anyway, windbreakers and parkas never looked so sexy. And as a real Dutch girl I really liked that.

Christian Dior Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

The Dior spring summer 2011 collection was inspired by sailors, the fourties and pin-up girl Bettie Page. The result was colorful, feminine, light and a lovely mix of sailor and elegance.John  Galliano made up the story of an imaginary Polynesian naval base where the sailors could kill their time by looking at Bettie-Page look-a-likes.

The British designer mixed the sexy 40’s pin-up clothes with Polynesian colors and flowers plus sailorstyle. A windbreaker never looked so sexy and elegant.  There were sailorpants in white and khaki, navy shirts and casual jackets and parkas. The more feminine touch came from short dresses in tropical colors and prints plus Hawaian necklaces with flowers .

Christian Dior Couture Catwalk Fashion Show FW2011

John Galliano kicked of the haute couture fashion week with a ‘flowerful’ collection. His creations were based on the most exotic flowers. They had outstanding shapes (resembling the shapes of famous flowers) and gorgeous colors (yellow, purple, cobalt blue, turquoise and red).

To stress the floral theme large flowers were the backdrop of this couture show. Plus, the model’s heads were packed in colorful plastic, like bouquets.

Galliano came up with his designs after studying real flowers for hours and hours. He for instance watched the light change on a tulip, which resulted in some stunning shades and a few amazing degrade effects.

Galliano paid attention to every details of his couture gowns. The ruffles, the feathers, the pleats and the lovely volume of his dresses were all close to perfection.

On the night of the next big gala event, Blake Lively, Jessica Alba, and Lou Doillon, who attended the show, will be fighting over these smoking hot couture creations.

Christian Dior Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2010

The fall/wintercollection of Christian Dior was a polished version of the haute coutureshow, where the Libertines were John Galliano’s inspiration. Again tough riding-clothes were mixed with more romantic dresses, tops and skirts. It was a well done clash of the historical masculine and feminine, something John Galliano likes the most.The result was sensual and sophisticated without screaming too loud.

He opened the show with a brown leather coat over a ruffled, chiffon dress- romantic at its best. But there were also tailored coats, ruffled dresses in perforated leather, checked jackets and jodhpurs. This seasons hot items – the big knitted sweater and cardigan – were also present, yet with sensual, lingerie-like details like ribbons and lace.

Christian Dior Haute Couture Catwalk Fashion Show ss2010

Elegant amazones walked the small runway at the first floor of the Christian Dior store in Paris. Kylie Minogue was sitting front row, as was Dita von Teese and Tavi, the 13 year old fashionblogger from Chicago.

John Galliano took a picture of couturier Charles James as his inspiration for the ss2010 haute couture-collection. And it was a sensory overload as usual. This time Galliano’s researchtrip went to the Metropolitan Museum where the gowns of Charles James caught his eye. There he saw a  picture of the designer – who influenced Monsieur Dior to come up with the New Look – with an image of women riding sidesaddle in the backround. The result is a collection full of riding skirts with nip-waisted jackets, frothy cocktail dresses and satin ballgowns. Colors went from black, white an red to purple, orange, green and pastelshades.

The refined elegance, the strong women and the longer skirts and accent at the waist will influence a whole new silhouette for the coming seasons.

backstage world ss2010: tension

It’s a whole different world backstage at the fashionshows. A world of fun, excitement and creativity. Today: backstage at Christian Dior, where John Galliano  takes a zip of champagne while the rest is waiting for the show to end.

Christian Dior Catwalk Fashion Show ss2010

Christian Dior’s fashion show started as a film noir with a lot of smoke and the sound of screams and guns. The models had the look of a classic beauty: red lips, colorful eyeshadow and long wavy hair. The corsets seemed the key element of this collection. A lot of lingerie and some gorgeous nightgowns in orange, red, purple and pink came by. The gowns were made of shiny (often transparant)  fabrics and had sequins all over them. A real showstopper was a long ivory gown with a strapless corset. From the bottom down sequins diverged all over its fabric. An eye-catching black transparent dress had violets stitched on top of it. A lot of big bags were carried around. They looked more like briefcases and therefore contrasted with the nightwear. A very thick leather jacket with an airy dress didn’t make up for a dazzling outfit either. From all the jackets that were shown John Galliano probably wore the best one himself. His detective look was the perfect end of this film noir-inspired show. (Tess van Daelen)

Paris Fashion Week ss2010 Impressions #8

Christian Dior Haute Couture Catwalk Fashion Show FW09

It was just a plain haute coutureshow without the extravagant theater. In the dove grey salons of the Christian Dior headquarters John Galliano held an almost traditional show like it was in the fifties. Galliano was inspired by behind-the-scenes photos taken as Monsieur Dior dressed his cabine of mannequins for shows. So there were half dressed mannequins in lingerie and petticoats wearing brightly colored variations on the classic New Look-silhouette.

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