CHRISTIAN DIORCOUTURE

WINTER 2009

9H21209Z1012 C9039H21314A1131 C974

9E21813H1156 C975

9H21218G1156 C9759H21311L1156 C975

9H21214A1157 C9769H21309L1134 C871

9H26261G6126 C8469H21314A1731 C095

9H21205A1731 C0959H21309L1628 C967

9H21802G1164 C480

9H21811Z1012 C900

9H21807Z1109 C535

9H26766G6126 C9009H21311L1164 C480

9H26862G6016 C9009H21620A1624 C966

9H25203Z5015 C4509H25309L5015 C450

9H21825Z1009 C860

9H21804G1624 C875

9H21215A1624 C8759H21309A1624 C875

9H21620B1660 C989

9H21217S1124 C8309H21314A1124 C830

9H21220L1110 C3359H21309L1110 C335

9H21601A1623 C900

9H21634S1608 C430

9H21225G1112 C3359H21309L1112 C335

9H21635L1650 C387

9H21626A1651 C387

9H21803A1622 C335

9H21619A1663 C988

9H21623A1664 C688

9H21603A1626 C281

9H21627X1601 C215

9H21616X1602 C215

9H21610X1602 C535

9H21647X1605 C535

9H21622X1601 C2159H21411A1601

9H21700L1330 C9839H21413A1601 C900

9H21001C1732 C585

9H21002A1733 C9859H21206X1605 C900

9H21003A1618 C0309H26160Z6101 C125

9H21669X1602 C120

9H21670X1602 C550

9H21674X1602 C605

9H21675X1602 C255

9H21671X1601 C335

9H21665X1601 C450

9H21677X1806 C430

9H21663X1602 C020

PARIS, March 6, 2009By Sarah Mower

Squaring circles is the name of the game for every established house this season. In a nutshell: How do you keep customers (i.e., freaked-out department stores and skeptical, reality-seeking shoppers) onside, while also keeping up the dialogue with fashion? At Dior, John Galliano found an easy compromise with a collection lightly based on the orientalism of Paul Poiret, an artistic Parisian craze dating back almost a century. No need for frantic reference-Googling here: The main point of Galliano's device is that it gave access to the areas of harem pants, rich gilded brocades, and Asian influences in general. Christian Dior never went East himself, certainly, but the notion wove ikat patterns, cheongsam fastenings, paisley prints, and those newly fashionable trousers into the house codes in a way that came out making sense for the many markets Galliano has to juggle.

Happily, there was no sense of straining for a recession solution about it. After treating Dior's standard suitings to a light, shortened adaptation of Poiret's hobble skirt, Galliano moved on to paisley-print day dresses and thence to the drapey harems (best in cream satin with a pale beige astrakhan gilet). That opened a neat portal through which Galliano's romantic, silver filigree Indian-embroidered chiffon cocktail and evening dresses could pass, looking effortlessly pretty. The result: grown-up fare for regular women, editorial-grade styling to appeal to the fashion press, and, in total, a clever feat of simultaneous translation from a well-traveled designer who knows how to reach his global markets.