[annavtree]

I agree with Tim Blanks' review at style.com, the question really is "What's next?" because Dior may have shown a HC show, but until they answer that question, really answer the question of what's next, the shows will lack the vision and cohesiveness that a top flight designer would bring.

As a designer's first show, the show was uneven but had potential. Viewed as a Dior HC show, the show was a mess. And, honestly, the brand is too big to take a chance on a designer who has never been creative director of a brand before.

[Crying Diamonds]

I think it says something when style.com's featured collection on the homepage is the newcomer Giambattista Valli, and underneath in small writing reads "also, Christian Dior".
Since when has Dior couture ever come second?

[cul8tr]

I was hoping that the video will make me change my mind about this collection but in fact when I see those clothes on the runway I hate them more. They really need to find the designer.

[liberty33r1b]

i tried to watch the video but had to stop after the first couple of outfits....this is even worse in motion, it felt like watching a circus parading down the runway....

[agee]

Quote:

The make-up was just wannabe John Galliano for Dior, but in the end they all looked like drag queens.

This actually looks less drag than several Galliano collections.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WilhelmF I can't help but thinking that this could lead for a (at least!) decent collection if they weren't trying to do so many themes at the same time...

Exactly, or perhaps even three or four decent collections. What has me scratching my head is not that it isn't a great collection or that it is a very bad collection, but that it is so bad in an obvious way.

My theory is that TPTB don't know who they want to succeed Galliano and it is between this Gaytten guy and Tisci, and this was Gaytten's trial run, and despite the couture allure, it is probably a less risky proving ground than RTW. It then looks like this guy knowing that this was his shot sent every look that he has fantasized about since he realized he wanted to be a designer down the runway and also let the other junior designers re-submit designs that were rejected from previous shows, hence the potluck outcome. I mean come on, just looking at the headgear and hair styles, you have clowns, moons, stars, geometric shapes, bouffants, Bride of Frankensteins, I cannot believe that the Dior higher ups, the ones who were not knee deep in the creation of the collection, did not realize what a scattered mess this was, perhaps they wanted the critics and the blogosphere to do their dirty work for them.

I can't figure out what the deal is here, is it that they have reservations about giving Tisci the job? Is it that they want to give Tisci the job but they don't want there to be bad blood between Tisci and the Dior petit mains, so they want to give the beloved inside guy a chance and when he fails hope that the atelier will give an outsider their full supportr? Do they genuinely want to see if Gaytten is up to the task, after all appointing insiders has worked out quite well for other houses, namely (and the tFS commentariat may not reflect this) Gucci, Valentino and Alexander McQueen?

I tell ya this is not the ideal way to maintain relevance, yet between the almost hits, the disatrous misses and the overall intrigue, Dior and Galliano (the label) are managing to do just that.

[madame royale]

i'm overall confused by this collection. like what is the running thing that links all the looks together? there are some looks that look like they're apart of one collection, another few looks look they're from another collection and so on. it's like they got various people to create collections and picked looks they liked out of each of them and the end result is a mess.

[christian zh]

Making of + Backstage + Preview

[iluvjeisa]

Well, look at it this way - anyone coming in after this disaster is going to be hailed a genius.

Would have been harder for a new designer to come right after Galliano.

[Boomer]

Let's just hope there is a better showing at Ready to Wear in October...I mean, they have to really sell those things!

[Niusity]

I miss Galliano. This doesn't even look as a HC collection to me. It's more like SS pret-a-porter. FW redy to wear was much better than this, IMO that elements from 70's where amazing. This looks like a mix of 20's, 50's, 60's. I'm really sorry for that, Dior has always had fantastic collections, everywhere are some weird pieces but in general it looked great, here everything is weird except few dresses.

[LUXXX]

Sad and terrible...they should've just kept Galliano and sent him on an apology tour a la Tracy Morgan.

[Squizree]

I just read Tim Blanks' review....he's trying so hard to sound neutral. Even he couldn't hide it.

....is that tinsel?!

[dazzling85]

Disappointing! Too much color and cuts and mixes. Hard to imagine that a nice dress can be modified.

[cookies3939]

looks like a collection designed by a project runway contestant.

[Mr-Dale]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iluvjeisa Well, look at it this way - anyone coming in after this disaster is going to be hailed a genius. Would have been harder for a new designer to come right after Galliano.

That is so true...perhaps that was the strategy all along? Arnault & Toledano would be crazy enough to do that. Letting everyone be mad at the fact that Galliano is gone now because this so ugly and then bringing in the big savior that makes everyone forget this collection and the fact that Galliano was ever there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squizree ....is that tinsel?!

Yes Squizree, that is tinsel