PARIS, Jan 31, 2006/ FW/ --- It was dark and cold; it was hard to see except for the path lights strategically placed so that guests can come in at the Tennis Club de Paris, the venue for the Dior Home Fall 2006 catwalk show. Hedi Slimane was setting the stage for a dramatic yet minimalist show.

The runway was all black, and the stage was all black, too, except that when the music began, fire erupted on the floor and a lone pole, similar to the ones where witches were burnt ages and ages ago.

And the first model came out wearing Hedi’s signature look – pencil-slim pants and lean, snug fitting jacket, a cummerbund peaking at the waist, the shirt was white and the cravat was a bow.

What followed was a symphony of black and white, with beige thrown in once in a while. This was Hedi’s vision of the underworld – clean-cut young men in tuxedos, long coats and trenches.

The pencil-slim trousers were interspersed with wide bell-bottoms, very much like the palazzo pants of the 1970s, but cuffed at the hem.

Jackets continued to be snug fitting with rounded shoulders, with the placket sometimes lined with a darker shade of black.

Tuxedo tails, another one of Hedi’s signature looks came in different lengths, from just below the crook of the knee, to higher ones just below the hip. Handsome though they maybe, it was in the outer coats that Hedi’s innovations were seen.

The trench coat was opened at the placket, and then folded outwards to show off the shirt inside, a geometrical keyhole of sorts.

The military dress uniform also made an appearance, but this time, the braids were oversized and though they are double breasted and can be closed, the proposal was to leave them open.

Fur also made an appearance, seldom seen at Dior Homme, but present nonetheless. The finale, a tuxedo clad clean cut ‘Dracula’ with a big flowing cape, almost ending like a train. It was hauntingly beautiful.

And as always with Dior Homme shows, there is live music at the end. Eight Legs, a string trio composed and performed ‘These Grey Days’ specifically for Dior Homme.

It was to the sound of their music that all the models took their bows, all of them wearing the same tuxedos. The applause was deafening as Hedi Slimane came out literally from the dark to be on the spotlight for a precious few seconds to accept the kudos that was rightfully earned.

Dior Homme by Hedi Slimane

Dior Homme by Hedi Slimane

Dior Homme by Hedi Slimane

Dior Homme by Hedi Slimane