Christian Dior
by John Galliano
The influence of photographers — Irving Penn and Nick Knight —
beguiled by the colors and structures of flowers.
His basic reference point was Christian Dior’s 1953 spring collection,
which introduced the “tulip line” and included floaty prints.
A violet mohair coat with lapels in fabric petals.
Coats were festooned with petal-collars.
A coat like a huge inverted daffodil.
Bulb-shaped hairdos.
A show-stopping petal of a pansy hand-painted on a ball gown.
The jacket-and-skirt combinations.
The white felt over lilac organza.
The jade mohair with a portrait neckline
over a petaled bubble of black organza.
Multilayered tulip-shaped skirts in degradé.
Bright elbow-length gloves.
Silk-tulle crinoline skirts, trailing like parachutes along the floor.
Coloured cellophane headdresses.
Armani Privé
by Giorgio Armani
Glistening tweed skirt-suits.
Jackets fastened with wood-and-tassel buttons,
over fit-and-flare skirts to the knee.
A sleeveless wool jumpsuit with a half-draped front.
A slim, wool dress with a swag of draping.
A play on every shade of amber.
A shimmer strapless evening dress
that changes color from palest ivory to gold to deep brown.
Streamlined silhouettes.
Dense embroideries in iridescent sequins and crystals.
Givenchy
by Riccardo Tisci
The collection themed around by Frida Kahlo’s art,
and Mexico’s Day of the Dead,
which gave rise to the repeated motifs of crosses and bones.
A jacket embroidered with alabaster stones and
3-D ceramic skulls, bisected with encrusted white lace.
A catsuit featured two layers of lace,
re-embroidered onto silk tulle
in the outline of the body’s skeleton.
Dresses encrusted with gold paillettes, stones, and beads.
A gold metal circlet in the shape of knuckles.
