Anyway, to start with, we have Christian Dior's Fall 2006 Ready-To-Wear collection designed by star designer John Galliano. One look through the design tells you that this goth-rocker-girl combination collection mirrors Galliano's Spring 2006 Coute collection - except that it's less bloody and more modern.
Just take a look at the above two designs. The one on the left is from this current Fall 2006 ready-to-wear collection (or RTW-F2006) while the one on the right is from their Spring 2006 couture collection (or HC-S2006). Notice that the design on the belts are almost the same - only the colour and material appear to be different. Both are thick and both sport a rectangular buckle.
And these two designs. Both the one on the left (from RTW-F2006) and the one on right (from HC-S2006) sport identical crosses. The crosses are black, have very flat and wide horizontal bars, and hang from similar chains with large rings - pure coincidence? I think not.
Ok, enough on the similarity of the two collections. Let's focus on RTW-F2006 proper.
The whole collection begins with designs that are practically all black. The hairstyles and staple usage of large, black sunglasses all suggest a goth-punk or rocker look. It's less of your college's rock band look but more of a brooding, goth/angst sort of a mix. As the collection progresses however, the colours begin to get lighter and we start getting designs that are in pure white. Compared to the goth/angst sort of looks that started this collection, these designs that use white and creamier colours suggest a sort of glamour and affluence, but underneath them we get a hint of decadence.
The above two designs use lighter and creamier colours. The one on the left uses a safari-coat of a rigid material, but the additional of a light creamier fabric from the waist down to the thighs suggest a sort of softness beneath the hardcore rocker image. The one on the right comes across as being decadent, with an excess of fur and a big diamond-studded buckle for the belt.
The collection proceeds on in varying colours, mostly light and rather un-angsty. The sudden lightness of the collection causes the whole rocker feeling created by the first few designs to diminish, but luckily the last few designs of this collection resurrects the rocker/goth/angst image.
That's what I mean. The more fiery colours emphasise on the rock/angst theme brought out earlier in the collection. Notice also how the theme of luxury and decadence doesn't seem to have died out yet - note the velvety texture of the dress in the centre picture and the way the leather gown (which I think is a very interesting to work with leather) is cut, draped, and lined. If this mix between angst and decadence somehow sounds like dejá vu, may I refer you to HC-2006? If I recall correctly, the concept behind HC-2006 was the French Revolution and the designs were based around blood/gore/violence + royalty/luxury/affluence.
If you're confused by what I mean by "blood/gore/violence + royalty/luxury/affluence" here's what I meant. A corset that's tattered and torn, a beautiful white gown that looked as though the wearer and waded through blood, and a tailored executive outfit stained with large patches of blood as if the wearer had been slashed all suggest a gory violence and angst beneath an affluent, luxurious appearance.
Of course, as a haute couture collection, HC-S2006 gets a little more liberty to go wild with the violence thingy. As a ready-to-wear collection, I guess RTW-F2006 needed to tone down the angst thing more. Nonetheless, John Galliano's ingenious idea of mixing in some elements from HC-S2006 and clever combination of fabrics and design elements plus his natural inclination towards flair makes this Fall 2006 collection a definite must-see - and you can easily do that by seeing the still images at Style.Com (from which I, erm, used the photos) and the full runway show at Dior's official website (just select the "Live" option from the menu on the left and once you get into the pop-up flash window). And if you're going to view the video at the official website don't forget to see HC-S2006 as well - even if you've seen the photos over and over again, the actual runway show is still worth a look.
