Animal rights protesters carrying placards denouncing John Galliano as a "Designer of Death" because of his use of fur failed to quench the optimistic spirit of the Dior show held in the Tuileries Gardens yesterday, on the second day of Paris Fashion Week.
There wasn't a shred of fur, however, on the catwalk, where the clothes revisited 60s London with a blast of psychedelic colour, lots of denim, leather, floral prints and floppy hats: tough chic meets flower power, new-century style.
Dior has every reason to celebrate at the moment, with a 59 per cent surge in first-half net profits, to €157 million. Even its couture sales have risen to €274 million in the same period.
To the ear-splitting sounds of revving motorbikes, models in tight-fitting denim and boucle suits swinging red leather handbags seemed uncharacteristically demure and low-key. Surprisingly sweet, too, were the crochet cardigans threaded with blue ribbon, ribbon used also to loop prettily along the fluttery hems of printed georgette dresses.
But things got steamier and sexier with zany new takes on 60s themes like frilled micro minis, jewelled Afghan coats and printed chiffons in candy colours like turquoise, banana and pink. Coming into full throttle, the catwalk was a blaze of serious glitter with slinky black and silver embroidered trouser suits, biker jackets with metallic lace, and black lurex trench coats. Even a brown velvet blouse worn over a bronze bikini sparkled in the limelight. No wonder the models' coloured shades were enormous. Can Dior get flashier than this?
If Galliano mined the past for ideas, as many designers are doing in the current mood of retrospection, others dig deeper, like Vivienne Westwood, for example, who went right back to the 18th century for a collection inspired by French rococo painter François Boucher.
Bedraggled models with hair as high as their heels and gladiator strapped legs wearing dresses printed like military regalia, nappy skirts and wacky regency striped jackets looked more wanton than pastoral, but there were lovely touches like drop-waisted grey chiffon dresses, black coats gathered like academic gowns and striking black and white check crinoline skirts. The finale was a splendid rococo parade of perversely elaborate gowns in duchesse satin worn with heavy, colourful jewelled necklaces. A white wedding dress in metallic printed silk enveloped its wearer like silver wrapping paper around a sweet.
Marithé and François Girbaud don't push out frontiers or rake up the past, but produce very successful commercial collections that sell all over the world, to judge from the large contingents of German, Italian, French and Japanese buyers in the audience. With their customary polish, they sent out shapely frock-coat jackets, tight black trousers and halterneck tops with white overstitching, a jaunty casual look that's easy to wear, easy to sell.
Central to the collection was the waistcoat, whether worn over a frilled chiffon skirt and shorts, with pin-striped denims or tight cropped trousers.
