In black leather trousers and a fitted jacket with ribbon detailing at the waist, Celine Dion fit right in at the Christian Dior Haute Couture runway show in Paris. The superstar singer was front row at the famed French fashion house's couture salon at 30 Avenue Montaigne for the unveiling of the fall-winter 2016-17 collection, which was all about black and white.
With the design house in transition — creative director Raf Simons left last year after a much-applauded three-and-a-half year tenure in which he moved Dior in a more modernist direction and Valentino co-designer Maria Grazia Chiuri is rumored to be next in line — interim designers Serge Ruffieux and Lucie Meier stuck to core essentials, with a monocromatic collection that featured the iconic Bar jacket with full skirt imagined in a few new ways.
They played with iconic hourglass shape, experimenting with pleating and draping in evening gowns and long skirts, adding layers of organza in some instances, and reinterpreting the jacket with a more elongated, deconstructed look.
"Monsieur Dior himself adored the juxtaposition of the two: 'White,' he said, 'is simple, pure and goes with everything,' while declaring, 'I could write a whole book about black,' " Dior officials noted in a press release.
Ruffieux and Meier highlighted only one other color — sculptural gold embroidery decorates some jackets and evening gowns, adding a touch of jewelry-like sparkle.
While the show lacked the pizzazz of some over-the-top collections shown during Paris Haute Couture Week like Chanel and Dior, it remained in keeping with Simon's interpretation of Dior and paved the way for Chiuri's debut next season.
Dior black wool crêpe dress embroidered with sequins and iridescent and black beads.
