"[Mitzah] Bricard is one of those people, increasingly rare, who make elegance their sole reason for being," wrote Christian Dior in his autobiography, Christian Dior and I. How could John Galliano resist a muse like that? For Resort, he revisited the patternmaker-turned-atelier power broker's beloved leopard spots and her favorite shade of lilac, whipping them up into fifties-ish pieces like a belted sheath, a three-quarter-sleeve pullover blouse worn with a black leather pencil skirt, and a swingy knee-length coat with contrast lapels. Pearls figured large in Bricard's repertoire, too, so the models wore multiple strands with everything from houndstooth skirtsuits to softly draping floor-length evening dresses. Galliano's light touch, especially on a graceful nipped-waist black lace dress, made the retro shapes look modern.
