2012 Paris Couture Fashion Week Images and Review of Christian Dior

Raf Simons set the scene for his Couture collection with wall-to-wall flowers in a private home on the Avenue d’Iena in Paris — lovely as they were, they still played second fiddle to the craftsmanship of his Dior debut. In perfect balance, Raf celebrated both the fashion legacy at Dior, while staking out a claim for his own. He married the history of the house's '40s aesthetic with re-creations of Dior's archival patterns sewn into the backs of his ornately embroidered dresses, but the skillful tailoring told a much more contemporary story. Slim trousers, topped with fit-and-flare dresses and peplum trim were part of Raf's own modern narrative, as were the full, voluminous gowns topped with sheer, t-shirt like tops. Right down to the pointed-toe pumps, red lips, and pearls, Raf honed in on our favourite parts of ladylike dressing without building caricatures, thanks to proportions, functionality in evening wear, and trends that play to today's woman and her point of view. For Raf, vintage Dior was the jumping off point — but it wasn't the full story.

• Trends: Menswear, peplum, cinched waists, outerwear as evening wear, dresses over pants
• Colours: White, navy, black, petal pink; a splash of canary yellow, red, and fuchsia
• Key piece: Ladylike coats, cinched at the waist and worn as dresses; fit-and-flare dresses over slim-cut pants
• Accessories: Classic, pointed-toe pumps, wide metallic belts, pearl-encrusted chokers and cuffs; ladylike gloves
• Who would wear it: Demure, classic beauties like Natalie Portman and Michelle Williams; we'd love to see Diane Kruger in the full-skirted, blue-floral print gown.