Monday in Paris, Christian Dior designer John Galliano opened the city's Fall-Winter 2011 Haute Couture Collections in petal-covered gowns and tulip shaped skirts in a variety of colors.
Galliano also fielded cocktail dresses in cream and navy Delft porcelain print, with upside-down tulip shaped skirts in Ceylon blue. Sheath dresses in mohair and boucle were a like a field of wildflowers in bloom. The ballgowns were massive concoctions of petal-shaped tulle, chiffon and droopy lengths of silk – one hand-painted with an oversized peony.
Day two of Paris' haute couture will be on Tuesday with Giorgio Armani's Armani Prive label and storied French house Givenchy. Givenchy opted against a runway show and will just display his collection to clients and the press in private appointments at its Paris showroom.
Considering clients' privacy concerns (a handful of women rich enough to afford couture gowns with price tags approaching that of a nice new car ) was one of the reason for such a decision.