As I sat down to begin my review of Christian Dior Fall 2011 Couture, I couldn't help but think back to when I was writing my Spring 2011 Couture
review. On that day, I was elated that couture week was starting, and I was eager to let John Galliano take me on another sensational couture experience. The images of the re-imagined New Look are still vividly embedded in my mind in what I described in my review as "haute couture at its absolute finest". In fact, I remember every Dior couture show I have ever seen, and even after all this time, they still manage to take my breath away.
This Dior show, however, is different. Bill Gaytten, who has taken control of the collection, gave us a fun collection, but it unfortunately went astray. Although it's difficult to pinpoint, the theme of the collection seemed to be a Dior circus/disco party. As theatrical as Dior couture shows can get, taking inspiration from a circus is something extremely difficult to pull off, and better left undone. It all started off with cotton candy colours and geometric shapes that were interestingly similar to either patterns found on a clown suit, or pieces of candy. All this was plastered onto the classic Dior silhouette of a cinched waist, and it just seemed a bit crazy.
Then came probably the most well executed part of the collection. There were floaty wisps of feminine charm, glamorized with paillettes and strokes of shine. It may not have entirely hit the mark, but it was a fairly good try.
But the show then veered off-course into a seventies throwback. There were maxi dresses and wide, cape-like bell sleeves in a melange of gorgeous colours, but when shown right in the middle of a couture show, it can look extremely tacky.
And, as any couture show, out came the gowns. Initially, the gowns would have gotten my approval, if it were not for the bizarre styling. There was a touch of astronomy in shooting stars and moon headpieces, a hat reminiscent of Napoleon, and finally, to somewhat round it all off, a clown hat.
At the very end, Karlie Kloss (who didn't open the show this time), looked forlornly up towards the stars, quite possibly looking for the lost master of Dior.
Watch the entire show here.
Image Source: Style.com