CHRISTIAN DIOR COUTURE SEDUCTION

John Singer Sargent’s infamous portrait of society beauty Madame X was the starting point for John Galliano’s Haute Couture at Christian Dior, but how would the modern muse step out? Black mounds of velvet and chiffon drapes and jet beading hung from cavernous ceilings, while inky dyed water rippled in the pyramid shaped pools the set snaked around. Even before the first look came onto the runway the scene was dipped in decadence. From behind a swoosh of black tulle the first creature glided out: gold thimble hat, glitter blinking eyes, green silk boule embroidered jacket, kimono sleeves, tiny waist, exaggerated hips and skirt nipped in at the knee.

Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love blazed over the loudspeakers and Sixties rock anthems wailed out riffs while a Technicolour treat of ruffles and virtuoso twists of satins, taffetas and lavish embroidery sauntered past on the world’s highest heels. It screamed luxe, luxe, luxe! Galliano’s fashion seductresses wafted from mythical to iconic, bold, gold, and glorious. This was the ultimate rock goddess, posing and preening in the world’s most expensive clothes to Jimi Hendrix and The Guess Who’s American Woman.

This was the ultimate party siren with oversized Byzantine earrings, hot shades, canary yellows, buttercup sequins, bright fuschia petal skirts and each look more extravagant than the last. Rose twists of fabric draped hems of wild A-line dresses or pulled on heavy satin gowns that were dragged round the floor. Madame X was wild, notorious, beyond… And only briefly upstaged by Galliano, a mix of Holbein and Henry VIII with gilt gold locks, who took his turn to a standing ovation.