Christian Dior S/S 11 Haute Couture

The Haute Couture season has come around again to help shake off the winter lull and inject some excitement back into our lives, and yesterday John Galliano presented his Dior Haute Couture collection in Paris. I was not able to attend due to previous commitments *ahem* but the show was another sweeping success for the house of Dior and the collection was a showcase of the technical skill and creative talent still going strong at the Dior ateliers.

Galliano said to Style.com it was his most technically challenging collection, and although I wouldn't say this was Galliano's strongest HC effort, every design has its merits. I think I speak for most Galliano fans though when I say 'bring back the big theatrical shows!!' You know, back to the good old days of Couture where models were conjured into Egyptian pharaohs and heavily armoured warrior women...

These are my top picks from the collection which was inspired by Rene Gruau, an illustrator for Christian Dior in the 1940's and 50's. I love the sheer layered effect of the fabrics, the illustrative brush strokes of sequins, and the masks, in particular the feline looking one on Magdalena Frackowiak.

pictures source