christian dior couture

Dita Von Teese and Fab fave Diane Kruger, both in chic black, looked on as John Galliano kicked off couture week. Against a set of dark draped fabric, intricately embroidered gowns in all shades of the rainbow — chartreuse, persimmon, fuchsia, and canary yellow included — popped. Gustav Klimt-inspired accoutrements, leopard print, and feathers all got special nods: the latter even adorning eyelashes in fluorescent shades.

Galliano's love affair with vertiginous platform shoes continued, this time with cut-out wedge heels and color-contrasting cap-toes. All in all, an opening that didn't necessarily venture into new frontiers for Dior couture, but a strong opening nonetheless.

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The haute couture show is always an extravagant event in itself, but when you're celebrating your 60th anniversary like the house of Christian Dior was yesterday, you really go all out. 1,000 people were invited to the show, asked to adhere to a dress code of "extreme elegance," and treated to somewhat of a supermodel reunion (Naomi, Linda, Gisele, Helena, Amber, but sadly no Kate), all of which took place - on top of everything else - at L'Orangerie at Versailles.

But then John Galliano has never been one for the minimal runway show approach - never from a man who ends his show by walking out in full matador costume! The collection itself took influence from the age-old pastime of creating living portraits, and sent his models out dressed as though they had walked out of an Impressionist, Pre-Raphaelite or Goya painting - bounties of billowing fabric, rich colors and corsetry. Other models, like Gisele, were a walking image of black and white photography. Like any Galliano show, there were hits and misses, but all in all, a wonderful tribute - to both the great Dior, and the great masters of art.

Want some more Dior fun? Vote on the Battle of the Dior!

To see lots more from the runway show, read more