Christian Dior S/S 2008 Couture

Images source: TheCelebrityCity

I remember growing up and following the work of John Galliano, I was always half entranced, half frightened by his models; there was always something alluring and seductive yet dark and sinister about the makeup, the styling, and the stage. And the outfits; it's like whatever the references were, Galliano's vision at Dior was to click on an image from the past and drag it like a screen icon into a new world. The silhouette he created seemed to grow out of a 21st-century body. It was magical.

The spring/summer 2008 couture collection was probably the last collection by Galliano for Dior that still had its magic for me, before the financial crisis came and affected the couture industry greatly. All the acidic colour, the headpieces, the big hair and chunky jewelries gives off a 60's futuristic Pierre Cardin/Paco Robanne vibe which I love. There's a cue of slightly futuristic take on the symbolist art movement with dramatic volumes: cocoon, A-line and souffle-like poufs, even so dramatic that if there were giant roses bursting from the hem of a purple dress, the bodice was sinuous and fitted. A cocktail dress would swell, Poiret-style at the hips, but the rest of the duchess satin would be restrained as a sheath. There's also meticulously executed rich and rare color combination (lime, chartreuse, fuchsia), and exaggerated headpieces in shapes of metallic bowl, flowerpot, and flying-saucer shapes, that created the perfect wardrobe for a modern-day couture clients.

p.s Kate Donnelly from 'From the Desk of...' wants to see how my desk looks like. The site itself is dedicated to a person's work space; it compiles snapshots of working desks from various people of different backgrounds. I found the site's really interesting and also inspiring, and it was quite a delight to see the desk of some creative artists which works I adore, such as KwangHo Lee and Grace Bonney from Design*Sponge, to name a few. Read the full article and interview here.