'I always come back to this Christian Dior S/S 98 haute couture show by John Galliano, as this was the summit of what fashion was capable of in terms of creativity, imagination, and fashion's ability to take you to another world.'

Respected editor-at-large Tim Blanks plunges into his must-see shows of fashion past. Here he waxes lyrical about Christian Dior S/S 98 haute couture, a cornucopia of excess as envisaged by then-creative director John Galliano. The show was inspired by the extravagant heiress Marchesa Casati (whose portrait by Giovanni Boldini adorned the invitations), and Michael Howells' set design, Stephen Jones' millinery and the supermodel casting conveyed 'confident theatricality', the likes of which 'fashion will never see again'.

Tim Blanks: Christian Dior S/S 98 Haute Couture