The Christian Dior collection opened with a touching speech from Sidney Toledano, chief executive of Dior. It was part apology, part eulogy and an odd start for what remains one of the most hotly anticipated shows of the week.
What the departed John Galliano had started, the Dior ateliers finished off. Indeed, it was they who took the bow at the end of the catwalk show, accepting the applause for a dandy-inspired collection of jewel tone velvets, fluttery chiffon dresses and lots and lots of accessories. They occasionally overloaded outfits, in the way a hefty leather Lady Dior tote can when a model is also negotiating a puff-waist jacket, cape, cavalier hat and seven-inch platforms. Otherwise, the accessories were an underline of the Dior house style.
