Fall 2012 is Bill Gaytten's Last Collection for the House of Christian Dior.

Bill Gaytten last collection for Dior was a great group of clothes full of Dior references. There were some soft versions of the New Look and some that had beautiful tailoring. Focus was on the cinched in waist and often belted full skirted silhouette.

Big stoned embroideries and graphic fabric plays and his boldest of moves, the midcalf skirt length were some of the big statements. Daytime was full of neat tailoring with modified Bars, a beautiful tricolored coat in horizontal blocks of blue, grey and rose. For evening, the line of small waist and full skirts followed and evolved into gowns and flowing skirts.

Altogether the show went on a bit too long with 56 looks, which was a bit surprising since Gaytten spent so many years in the Galliano-esque low thirties range. At the time word was that Dior's retail numbers were picking up. Gaytten could have been under the pressure to create a collection since it seemed that he was still in the audition stages. His tenure as the interim designer for the house has been the longest. Two years. I am sure it isn't easy. The questions remained. What is the house to do? What do Bernard Arnault and Sidney Toledano ultimately want for their designer? If they want show stopping, awe inspiring, breathless directorial fashion, Gaytten has not indicated that. There seemed to be an anchor to the brand while attracting paying clientelle, and great looks for the red carpet, with a descent couture showing in January for Spring 2012 couture and this fall show, all designed by Gaytten. He could have had a shot but that all changed in the months to come....

Christian Dior

Fall/Winter

2012-2013

Christian Dior Spring 2012 is Pretty


As the house of Dior is going through its transition it seemed to make more sense in making clothes that are more commercial. This is what Bill Gaytten came up with for his second time designing for the house. No matter what the house is going through there is a loyal clientele that wants to buy a Dior outfit.


An LED light show surrounded the interior of the tent at the Musée Rodin tracing the signature moldings, that signaled the modernization of the house codes. Gaytten designed versions of the Bar jacket with a wide neckline and more streamlined basque. They are worn over organza blouses and bubble skirts done in airy gazar. There were pretty feminine pale colors, like ice blue and nude pink. Some punches of red were just right in the mixture of the graphic black and white check motif and geometric embroideries on skirts and dresses. Filmy silks, plied with tulle and lace flowed for evening.

This was not the spectacular fashion statement that the house showed in the past. Maybe because there was an absence of the flair of Gaytten's predecessor but there was the modification that maintains Dior's class and luxury that remains present in the world today. The clothes overall are exquisite in construction and quality. What more can you expect from the House of Dior, no matter who the creative director is?

Christian Dior Haute Couture does well for Spring 2012.



The house of Christian Dior was pretty alive and buzzing with the curiosity of what will be shown for Spring 2012. On Avenue Montaigne on the third floor of the studio, surrounded by the beautiful creamy gray is where the presentation took place. The clothes were definitely much more cleaner, elegant and luxe and had a sense of a saleable quality that will fair well for old and new clients of Dior. At the same time this is the other extreme from the touch of Galliano who created clothes that stimulated any one's imagination as well as the appetite of couture in a grand way which always captivated the world. It has been a year that Galliano was let go of Dior by LVMH.



Bill Gaytten who was Galliano's right hand man from day one and who is the studio director for the house, has done well with this collection compared to last fall when he created looks that looked like a whole bunch of art students cut and pasted pieces of fabric and remnants together. This season details and silhouettes were created that Monsieur Dior himself imagined and were incorporated with some modern flair made in colors such as black, grey, white, beige, lavender, violet and red.



According to Gaytten this collection was the X-ray collection which had some transparency to show the technique and work that goes into the confections. Even though Galliano created a collection similar to this in 2005, this take of Gayttens was pretty as well. However, the collection was a feast of designs that are really beautiful and wearable, maybe with some requests to put a silk slip underneath some of them.
Even though Gaytten is designing the collections for Dior, there is no word yet as to who the designer or creative director will be or if they are still looking.
Overall, this Dior Collection got a great hand of applause and I applause Bill Gaytten for his efforts. Well done!

Christian Dior

Haute Couture

Spring 2012