Guests braved heavy winds and rain to trek to a hippodrome on the outskirts of Paris for the Dior show, which kicked off a condensed season of haute couture displays designed to spare editorial budgets as economic growth wavers.

By the time the show kicked off, almost two hours behind schedule, spirits inside Dior's custom-built tent were almost as damp as the weather outside.

But the storm clouds soon lifted as shadow monsters, Chinese acrobats and plate spinners appeared silhouetted against two red screens on either side of the catwalk, to the delight of guests including actress Liz Hurley and rap singer Eve.

As the bulging figures emerged, it became clear that Galliano's recent trip to China and Japan had yielded a treasure trove of fabric finds and that he was determined to use them all at once.

This was Asia viewed through the prism of the 18th century French court of Versailles.

Kimono prints competed with hand-painted silks and brocades in concoctions that could scarcely be described as outfits. Instead, it was as if the models were swathed in giant fabric sample books, each layer peeling off to reveal another beneath.

An oversized blush pink coat with embroidered blue flowers bulged over a ruched pink chiffon evening dress. A huge flower sprouted from inside the deep folds of a lime green and gold striped coat.

Silver butterflies clicked in elaborate hairpieces inspired by the costumes of traditional Chinese opera. Flowered silks frothed over crinoline skirts in a twisted take on the milkmaids immortalized by 18th century painter Fragonard.

Giant Chopsticks

Feather-light printed chiffon gowns were draped from giant chopsticks, spiked through the hair like glittering tentpoles. Models' faces, painted blue and pink, were swathed under cartwheels of pastel ostrich feathers.

For the finale, a Chinese circus performer appeared carrying a spinning umbrella on which a young girl perched on a unicycle as if by magic - a fitting metaphor for Galliano's power to dazzle even the most jaded of fashion critics.

The rebel designer has clearly hit on a winning formula with his theatrical catwalk shows, which showcase the skill that goes into haute couture's exclusive made-to-measure creations. Clients know they can always order a toned-down version later.

"He is the only designer who knows how to use the magic of haute couture," said actress and model Lou Doillon, the daughter of actress Jane Birkin. "I think it's stupid to play it simple, and staging it as a spectacle, to me, is totally logical."

It is also highly profitable. Dior, the parent company of luxury goods giant LVMH, said on Monday its couture division had registered a whopping 41 per cent rise in annual revenue.

The group said the robust sales performance should allow it to post strong growth in operating profits for the full year, in stark contrast with rival group Gucci, which in December cut its 2002 profit forecast, citing the threat of a war in Iraq.

(Shanghai Star January 25, 2003)