PARIS, July 8, 2003/ FW/ --- John Galliano thinks big.

When he was a little boy, he must have done like all little boys and reached for the stars on warm summer nights. But in an irony of circumstance, it was the stars that came to John on a sparkling midsummer day.

Inside a heavenly air conditioned tent at Auteuil, a party atmosphere was in the making with seats illumined in hot pink and blue lighting and the Christian Dior logo glowing in ruby red neon. Haute Couture became high drama as the celebrities emerged into the limelight.

Jack Nicholson was front row attired in a black suit and dark sunglasses. "I'm looking forward to the show", he told FW, his gruff demeanor lightening to a smile. "I just love John's work."

[Photo at left: Jack Nicholson bursts into laughter with his daughter Lorraine before the start of the Dior show.]

Elsewhere the paparazzi flashes illuminated a veritable constellation including Liz Hurley, Luxury Giant Bernard Arnault and his elegant wife Hélène, along with Sydney Toledano, President of Dior Couture. To name just a few.

Then there was Anna Wintour sitting alongside Glenda Bailey and André Leon Talley.

The editor of American Vogue, who once helped John Galliano when he was a little known British designer desperately in need of sponsors, spoke of her recent commencement address at the Fashion Institute of Technology graduation.

"It was a really a difficult audience and hard to know what to say," Anna Wintour commented.

Words of encouragement are rare in the world of fashion, but just look what can happen if you take the time to offer them.

John's real genius is in sensing how the world of Haute Couture has changed. It is no longer the exclusive territory of a small number of Royal matrons, dowagers and millionaires, but the domain of Hollywood. The raison d'être for couture has become the red carpet, and so it was not for nothing that crimson was the color du jour.

After bringing home the gold at Cannes in May, dressing both Penelope Cruz and Monica Bellucci, Dior's top designer has his eyes set on a whole new crop with this star dusted collection.

At show time, the set literally exploded into colors, and down the lacquered ebony runway they came, a succession of models wearing pseudo-flamenco, pseudo-hopped skirts with chiffon folded into ruffles that floated like mimosa blossoms, and then flowered into bright fuchsia, tangerine, chartreuse and poppy. Corset tops came dusted with sequins and worked with embroidery with such finesse that the artisans employed at the Dior Haute Couture atelier should have taken a bow.

A scrumptious burnt red coat with tails was sprinkled with liquorice sequins, while white cotton candy evening gowns floated into thin air. A kimono of black silk embroidered with a tapestry of flowers highlighted the Oriental flourishes spinning through the collection.

A sea foam green sequined bathing suit was paired with an oyster-gray shredded fox fur. High heeled stilettos and exotic headwear ornamented everything.

After the finale of all 40 pieces, worn by 40 different models, the music swelled, the lights flickered, and John Galliano made his way down the entire catwalk attired in a mesh see-through shirt, worn atop a pair of blue and white striped sweatpants.

John likes the light, and that's a good thing, because high voltage stars create megawatts.

Dior by John Galliano

Dior by John Galliano

Dior by John Galliano

Dior by John Galliano

Dior by John Galliano