Dior show wows Paris

If the A-list contingent was conspicuous by its absence at the spring/summer collections in Milan earlier this week it was out in force today in Paris, the last stop on the international designer fashion circuit and home to probably the most gifted fashion talent in the world.

Bruce Willis and his wife Emma Hemming, Dita Von Teese and Rihanna all took pride of place front row at Dior, amongst the biggest shows of the week. This is, one of France's most famous status labels, after all, as favoured by the bourgeois French fashion establishment and any red carpet stalwart worth her credentials alike.

Demi Moore, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz and Sharon Stone all regularly choose Dior for big entrance dressing. In particular - and unsurprisingly favouring a rather more low-key and sedate aspect of the brand - the French first lady and former model Carla Bruni Sarkozy has given the name something of a lift over the past eighteen months. Bruni-Sarkozy wore Dior almost exclusively during her much publicised visit to Britain in March last year and has continued to endorse the label since that time.

So what did Dior designer, Gibraltan-born, British-educated John Galliano have to offer his customer - not to mention the aforementioned beautiful people - for the forthcoming season?

He stated as inspiration film noir and specifically a young Lauren Bacall. With this in mind, models emerged with immaculately coiffed waved hair, true red lips and sultry hooded eyes. The references didn't stop at the styling. "Bogart" trenches came in everything from houndstooth check - a time-honoured Dior signature - to python and from classic sand-coloured gabardine to satin-backed crepe. The iconic outerwear was cut short and sweet throughout - Galliano is by no means the only designer who feels there's really no need for anything to fall below mid-thigh next season. This mindset extended to pretty lacy knit dresses, tracing the boning of corsetry at the torso and with full sunray pleated or tiered, ruffled skirts.

Underwear as outerwear, babydoll dresses in black silk chiffon worn with visible, vibrantly coloured bras and cami knickers beneath and more all made for suitably high-octane viewing throughout. Suffice it to say, Ms Bruni Sarkozy might find herself confined to Dior tailoring for the time being to ensure any modesty is kept in tact.

And what of the type of show-stopping gown that sets the heart of any Hollywood hopeful aflutter. The exception that proved the rule as far, as skirt length was concerned at least, was a final sequence of long, liquid, bias-cut gowns - really nobody in the industry does these better - which duly ticked any boxes where that is concerned.