PARIS (AFP) - British designer John Galliano conjured up a whimsical vision of the woman traveller for next winter, offering a collection of patchwork clothes that seemed drawn from a mix of world folk traditions
With a suitcase strapped to her back and a hat box perched on her head, in a logo newspaper print dress or a man's suit pulled in tight in the back with a string, Galliano's women did not represent specific folklore heroines.
But the British designer -- who often draws inspiration from his extensive travels for both his own collection and his work for Christian Dior -- made references to a myriad of countries throughout the madcap show late Saturday.
Billowing crinoline dresses covered in fur pelts trapper-style, a Bolivian hat, masculine chalk-stripes and layers of petticoats in wild contrasting prints over full baggy trousers: Galliano likes to keep his guests guessing.
And they love to see what he'll come up with next.
Each gag or witty detail earned applause -- one model wore a hat that doubled as a storage rack for aluminum camping dishes, another dragged a ragged rolling cart behind her and a third looked like a poor Scarlett O'Hara who used the living room curtains to make herself a gigantic ball gown.
Galliano ended his autumn-winter 2004-05 show with the "Battle Hymn of the Republic", one of the North's anthems during the American Civil War.
Amid all the hoopla, the British designer put a few pieces on the runway that could find their way onto the sidewalks, like pompom cardigans, denim trousers or floral print chiffon dress. Check the stores in a few months.