Christian Dior / Pre-Fall 2012

Couture week has shown two sides of Dior, in the charge of British designer Bill Gaytten, in as many days. On Monday, the house was in full haute couture mode. That’s when Dior can featured crocodile scales stitched—painstakingly, one by one, mind you—onto organza, mimicking the placement of the scales when they were on the crocodile’s skin itself, while celebrities like Cameron Diaz were there to take in this feat of atelier craftsmanship. Twenty-four hours later, another side of the house was on show, with its pre-fall collection displayed in the storied maison at rue Francois Premier. The former is pretty much an exercise in creating the Dior brand image, save for that rare breed who can actually afford to order the clothes or need them for the red carpet. As for the latter, that should build a foundation of clothes that will, theoretically, sell, and sell, and sell.

And how to get to that magical point? Don’t expect a consensus. Designers have wildly differing opinions. Some will go for pushing the envelope, striking out into new and sometimes radical territory, while others prefer to see it as a moment to consolidate what’s gone before. The Dior design studio, under Gaytten’s direction, went for option two, drawing on the Dior heritage with the bar jacket, primarily, that waist-cinching, hip-jutting piece of virtuoso tailoring reworked and rethought in as many ways as humanly possible.

Elsewhere, though, it was an anonymously pleasant brand of chic. The look was reductive, sketching out those Dior curves in a more minimal way: simple collarless coats, in fuchsia wool or black patent leather, their softly rounded volume kept under control by being tightly belted; and long, lean layers of high-neck sweaters, pencil skirts, and cardigan jackets, in heathery tweeds and marled knit. The best moments came in two dresses in soft shell pink: one strapless and columnar, edged with beading, and worn under a matching jacket that buttoned up the back; the other a knee-length sheath dress with a subtly draped waist, the kind of dress that plenty of women would find themselves reaching for again, and again, and again. Of course, given the continuing question of who will lead Dior onward, it’s not surprising that the house would opt for a moment of retrenchment, offering a refined, and dependable quietude. But is it just a little too quiet? Next time, it’d be interesting to see Gaytten and his team consider giving us option one.

Photos: Courtesy of Christian Dior