> > > showing off the technical skills of your sewers...

I like how "sewers" has two meanings.

I agree Galliano has proven to be a genius for Dior, especially for the Haute Couture, but I think the Fall '06 Haute Couture collection went over the edge of creativity and fell into crazy-and-unwearable-only-for-shock-value territory. Yes, couture is a money-losing industry and it's done to create brand image, but Galliano has proven he can be over the top yet still create ridonkulously beautiful couture pieces that are still (potentially) wearable. The Cleopatra Spring '04 Haute Couture collection was totally amazing in my opinion. Most of the pieces were extremely silly when considered from the point of view of a couture customer (i.e. rich bitch white women who are 99.9% conservative in their style), but regardless if anyone bought an outfit it was still wearable:

www.style.com/fashionshow...review/CDIOR

Ditto for the Prussian aristocracy Fall '04 Haute Couture collection. Those gowns were purposely awkward, but someone could still wear them and they were luxuriously amazing:

www.style.com/fashionshow...review/CDIOR

This is where I have "issues" with the Fall '06 Haute Couture collection. Who's going to wear a Robotron suit of armor or one of those green alien bubbles? It went beyond over-the-top into unwearable theatrics. I agree that the '40s grouping made it look like the models had no necks, and models usually have long, evident necks. Make-up and styling aside, a lot of the pieces were just head scratchers. I'm a huge fan of what Galliano has done with Dior Haute Couture, but this collection just turned me off for some reason. I love most of the pieces (the square black box skirt was incredible), but I guess I'm being persnickety about it.