Bill Gaytten's last hurrah at Dior was a dignified farewell. There was no big story (even if Fall's ballet theme insinuated itself in the form of tulle tutus). Instead, fresh, graphic black, navy, and white and a gentle nod to the iconic Bar silhouette, with its emphasis on an accentuated waist. They really did look like clothes for a particularly upscale resort or cruise. It's been pointed out more than once this season that the link between Resort as we see it now and the original purpose of the clothes is becoming ever more tenuous, but here there were some pretty sundresses and an equally pretty rose print, the same flower that appeared abstracted in a sensational necklace modeled after an original design by Christian Dior himself.
Gaytten is first and foremost a cutter, and that is what he did best here, allowing just a little drama into the long, clean lines of the eveningwear. Most memorable? A decorous white plissé gown whose skirt turned on a twirl into an enormous circle, which suggested there'd be dancing on deck.
