Paris Couture Kicks Off

And they're off to the races: Paris Couture kicked off Monday, which began with Christian Dior's collection. Designer John Galliano channeled dressage in his designs, sending models down the runway in with whips and voluminous, color-soaked skirts which, according to The New York Times' Cathy Horyn, were "cut to evoke the drape in a side saddle." Galliano also channeled the early influence of Charles James—rippling silhouettes, short jackets, and side-swept skirts. "I'm not sure how much meaning that gesture holds today for people," Horyn wrote of the show's equestrian theme, "but I appreciated the work involved and maybe the style will translate into a soft summer skirt and a halter-neck top for the rest of us." For his bow, Galliano—in keeping with his theme—strode out with a riding whip, smacking his own flanks—which, Women's Wear Daily wrote was a "needless gesture, as he's still riding high at Dior." Not all audience members, however, were pleased: The editors at British Grazia were dismayed that they were stuck behind the 13-year-old blogger Tavi Gevinson, who wore a pink bow hat by Stephen Jones. "At Dior," a Grazia editor tweeted. "Not best pleasd to be watching couture through 13 year old Tavi's hat."