Rags & riches
VERSAILLES, France: The Paris haute couture shows kicked off with French label Christian Dior holding a celebrity-studded catwalk show and party at the royal chateau of Versailles to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
Hollywood stars including Charlize Theron, Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba joined guests on Monday at the 300-year-old orangery of the castle that was home to France's Sun King, Louis XIV.
"It's amazing; it's like a dream come true," a dazed Alba said. "I can't even believe the grounds and this castle. It's extraordinary."
Stars of the supermodel era, including Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista, struck poses in sumptuous evening gowns and 1940s-style suits inspired by the works of painters ranging from Leonardo da Vinci to Pablo Picasso.
The ideas flowed at breathtaking pace, earning the house's British designer John Galliano a rare standing ovation.
Dior had shocked fashion editors when he unveiled his "New Look" in 1947, featuring ample skirts that used acres of fabric, in stark contrast with the rationing in force during World War II.
Galliano sent out Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen in an updated version of the fitted, hip-padded "Bar" jacket that was the centerpiece of that seminal collection.
In his decade at Dior, the 46-year-old has courted controversy with catwalk antics such as a collection inspired by homeless people. But he has amply proved his mastery of the ancient techniques that go into producing made-to-measure haute couture.
"He is in perfect symbiosis with Monsieur Dior," said the company's CEO Sidney Toledano, adding that its sales of haute couture had doubled following Galliano's previous show in January.
Here, pieces of the house's history were deftly blended with painterly references such as a stiff, white ruffled collar on a brown velvet smock coat or silver embroidery on a dramatic black taffeta gown topped with a lace mantilla.
Standouts included a lilac chiffon column inspired by Italian painter Giovanni Boldini's portrait of the Marchesa Casati, an eccentric Italian heiress famous for walking her pet cheetahs through Venice on diamond-studded leashes.
Live performances by flamenco singers and a gospel choir lent a poignant edge to the display, which was dedicated to the memory of Steven Robinson, Galliano's right-hand man of more than two decades who died suddenly in April at age 38.
Galliano recently traveled to Seville and brought back the flamenco troupe, whose cries later echoed through the gardens of the chateau as guests feasted on tapas, paella and champagne.
The Dior party was only the first in a series of glittering events marking important milestones this season.
French designer Christian Lacroix on Tuesday celebrates the 20th anniversary of his label with a catwalk show, followed by a party at the trendy Paris restaurant Georges.
Italian couturier Valentino Garavani, not to be outdone, moved his presentation from Paris to Rome, where he planned to hold three days of events marking the 45th anniversary of his brand.
Other couture houses showing this week include Giorgio Armani, Elie Saab and Jean Paul Gaultier. The parties come at a time when haute couture is thriving once more, thanks to an influx of newly wealthy customers from Eastern Europe and Asia.
Only a handful of houses are authorized to use the couture tag, which comes with a strict set of guidelines fixed by the French government. The price of dresses, which take hundreds of hours to complete, can climb into six figures.
In recent years, high costs have prompted labels including Emanuel Ungaro and Balmain to close their couture workshops.
Nonetheless, leading purveyors, including Chanel, Lacroix and Dior, have reported strong double-digit growth in sales in recent months, reflecting a similar trend in the markets for fine jewelry, art and private yachts.
Agencies
(China Daily 07/06/2007 page18)
