Christian Dior has became the first fashion house in living memory to present a haute couture collection without a named couturier, following the sacking of disgraced British designer John Galliano.
Instead, Bill Gaytten and Susanna Venegas, who head up the label's design team, took the bow at the end of the catwalk show in Paris , in the grounds of the Musée Rodin.
This was the first Dior Couture collection not designed by Galliano in 15 years. He was sacked in April amid allegations of racial and antisemitic abuse.
It was an eclectic show, which seemed to bear the hallmark of being designed by several hands. The 36 outfits ran the gauntlet from 1950s silhouettes and 1970s west coast hostesses to a ballgown-wearing Pierrot clown (right) – by way of Frank Gehry and Grace Jones.
"We are used to being eclectic," explained Gaytten after the show, a statement which seemed to hint that Dior without Galliano was already getting back to business as usual.
Backstage he namechecked the Italian designer Ettore Sottsass, who was part of the early 1980s design movement the Memphis Group, famed for their furniture and textiles featuring fluorescent colours, slick surfaces and daring patterns. This influence could be seen in the pastel organza layered skirts which looked as if they were embroidered with giant Dolly Mixture sweets, topped off with glossy cube-shaped headpieces (left). Striking, but not entirely tasteful.
Other looks were based on the rose, a classic Dior emblem. This being couture, the flower was not printed but created in relief from layers of handcut frayed organza and taffeta. Metallic embroidery provided the Gehry reference.
Elsewhere, a selection of plisse chiffon kaftans with handpainted stripes turned the models into bouffant-haired butterflies from the 1970s.
The decision by Dior to stick to the fashion calendar and show a couture collection by less well-known hands is both intriguing and risky.
It implies that the label believes its couture customers – the world's most wealthy and privileged fashion consumers – will still want made-to-measure Dior in this period of transition.
So far, sales at Dior do not appear to have suffered from the Galliano scandal and label bosses believe customers are buying into the brand itself rather than collecting the signature work of any one star designer.
This was backed up by Didier Grumbach, president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture earlier in the week when he explained why he believes couture is booming. He told Womenswear Daily: that "Today the clients are clients of the brand, and they buy couture when it's better made, and ready-to-wear when it's better." Time will tell whether Grumbach is right.
There was speculation as to whether Gaytten will succeed Galliano at the helm of Dior.
Backstage he deflected questions, saying only: "I think most people would like that job."
Sources at Dior said an announcement was not imminent.