Supermodels flock to £2m bash to mark Christian Dior's 60th anniversary

11 April 2012
The Weekender

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The dress code: extreme elegance. The venue: the spectacular Orangerie at the Palace of Versailles. The occasion: the 60th birthday of the house of Dior. The price tag: more than £2million.

Those of us lucky enough to have been invited to the couture show and ball on Monday night in Paris were witness to one of the most memorable occasions in recent fashion history.

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Purple reign: Lily Cole makes a dazzling appearance in Paris

Purple reign: Lily Cole makes a dazzling appearance in Paris

John Galliano, who took over the helm of Dior ten years ago, staged a tribute not only to Christian Dior himself (who died prematurely in 1957, aged 52), but also to Steven Robinson, Galliano's chief designer, who died in April while working on this collection.

Along the catwalk came Amber, Karen, Shalom, Helena, Naomi and Stella - superannuated supermodels all, who (apart from young gun Lily Cole) reminded us how fabulous and flawless women over 30 (and in the case of Linda Evangelista, over 40) can be. Despite their sky-high wedges (at one point the scene resembled Beecher's Brook at the Grand National as so many models refused to negotiate the steps), the magnificent gowns were inspired by painters, photographers and fashion illustrators.

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Catwalk veterans Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell (who is wearing a dress spun from rose petals) prove they haven't lost their touch

Catwalk veterans Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell (who is wearing a dress spun from rose petals) prove they haven't lost their touch

The evening - with its fireworks, choir, orchestra and surely the biggest post-show paella ever stirred, not to mention the pay cheques of so many models who wouldn't open their eyes for less than £10,000 a day, let alone get of bed - was surely worth it.

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Models show off Galliano's dramatic designs

Dior might sell only a handful of the hand-sewn, bejewelled frocks at more than £100,000 a piece, but it will shift gallons of scent and millions of handbags in the afterglow of a night that would have put even Marie Antoinette, to shame.

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Gisele Bundchen and Karen Mulder work monochrome ensembles

Gisele Bundchen and Karen Mulder work monochrome ensembles

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