Dior Spring Couture Show 2008

Dior and couture are truly inseparable. I mean, both Dior and the word "couture" end with the sound "yore", and what's couture without the presence of Christian Dior, one of the most revered couturier of all time?

As usual, Creative Director John Galliano one again injected the theatrical feeling with a colorful and bold hues plus extravagant detailing (ang gaudy makeup) into the latest Spring couture collection 2008, recently staged in Paris to the privileged ones - celebrities, international socialites, and highly-respected media members from all over the world.

The inspiration, according to Galliano, was Madame X, a painting of Parisian socialite with notorious beauty by the name of Virginie Amelie Avegno Gatreau by acclaimed painter, John Singer Sargeant.

Galliano uses electrifying colors such as lime green, magenta, yellow, purple, blue, and red, plus a brief appearance of black as his working palette with yards of shiny fabrics such as duchesse satin, which is known for its suppleness and versatility, to create an array of coutures loaded with voluminous gigantic shapes such as bubble skirts on evening gowns, and luxuriously embellished with big plastic flowers, dangling glittering pailettes on embroidery, gilded swirls, and bejeweled geometrics inspired by Gustav Klimt symbolic paintings.

The show started with model Natasha Poly walking on the catwalk stage in lime green suit dress with oversized jacket richly embellished in geometric embellishing, worn with a shiny Tarbush-styled hat, also embellished and a pair of lime green wedges with cutouts in the middle of the wedges.

The hairdos are nicely lacquered, which was inspired by former BAZAAR Editor-In-Chief Diana Vreeland's hairstyle. Sporting a 60's hairdo, model Vlada Roslyakova looked stunning in a magenta bubble dress with magnificent detailing on the hem.

Returning to Dior's couture catwalk are the Japanese-styled saucer hats created by milliner Stephen Jones and was spotted on Coco Rocha, who dazzled the crowd in a simple 60's-inspired purple shift dress with shiny sequin detailing and giant rosettes blooming around the hem.

Although air-blown and balloon-y shapes conquered the stage, a touch of demure elegance prevails in simple suit dress with long skirt and heavily-adorned jacket in metallic gold, and orange criss-cross strapped dress with ruffle and ethnic detailing.

As usual, the 40-pieces show ended with John Galliano himself walking on the stage, impeccably and theatrically dressed to the nines, receiving applauses and (probably) standing ovations towards his creative works that might be the inspiration towards the upcoming spring/summer 2009 collection that we shall see on stage at Paris Fashion Week for Spring 2009 in the forthcoming month of September.

Dior's spring/summer 2008 ready-to-wear and accessories collection is available now at all Christian Dior boutiques and selected retailers worldwide.

*Photos by Daniel Oberrauch/style.com

Christian Dior - Indulge Floor, Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur; Ground Floor, Isetan KLCC, Suria KLCC, Jalan Ampang, 50088 Kuala Lumpur; Passenger Level, Satellite A, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sepang.